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Josh Hart trolls Tom Thibodeau after winning unusual award

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated May 14, 2025 7:48 PM ET

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is known for the very high workload he gives his core players. That is why Josh Hart found some humor in the award he received this week.

Hart was given the NBA’s “Minutes Champion” award, recognizing the player who played the most minutes during the regular season. He even received a trophy for the feat, which involved him averaging 37.6 minutes per game during the regular season.

Josh Hart receives his “minutes champion” award from the NBA pic.twitter.com/pkkrBsxbpp
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 13, 2025

On Wednesday, Hart joked that the award might be one of the most meaningful awards for a Thibodeau player to receive.

“I think it’s the second most important trophy for Thibs in his career,” Hart joked. “The first is his championship. The second is my trophy.”

Josh Hart on his NBA minutes leader award:

“I think it’s the second most important trophy for Thibs in his career. The first is his championship. The second is my trophy.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May 14, 2025

Thibodeau’s high workloads are infamous. This year, one of his starters even asked the coach if he could lay off a bit.

For Hart, the minutes seem to be no problem. He has followed up his regular season workload by averaging virtually the same tally in the postseason. Three Knicks are averaging at least 40 minutes per game in the playoffs, so it is not as if Thibodeau is laying off at the most important time of the year.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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