Josh Hart Credits Surprising Source for Knicks' Latest Win

"Shoutout to PJ Tucker, for making sure we're up, we're talking," Hart said (h/t New York Basketball on X). "He brought that championship pedigree to us and he deserved a big shoutout ... He's just someone that always talks to us. He's a champion and he's bringing that mentality."

Despite playing sparingly in a Knicks uniform, Tucker has gained a cult following among Knicks fans since signing with the team on a series of 10-day deals over the winter. His animated reactions on the Madison Square Garden bench, as well as his flashy sneaker closet, have earned him such support and have allowed him to leave a lasting impact on metropolitan affairs.

All that and more might be exactly why Tucker, who turned 40 last week, landed a two-year with the Knicks after his couple of 10-days expired despite appearing in only three games to date. Of note, Tucker is one of the few active New Yorkers to carry championship hardware, earning a ring as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

Tucker has understood his New York role from the get-go, knowing his impact would be felt more in the mind than in the box score. The veteran is pleased with the way that his on-court proteges have responded to his teachings.

“That’s been something I’ve been trying to help with — getting them to talk to each other more,” Tucker said earlier in the Celtics series, per James Edwards III of The Athletic. "They all talk to me, but they didn’t talk to each other in real time ... We needed to do those things instead of putting our hands up and looking at each other."

"It’s changed. Do I think it needs to get better? One hundred percent. But it’s come a long way since I’ve got here, for sure.”