Knicks Rookie Proves to Stars He Can Read

"We knew he could read," Hillman jokingly said. "We just wanted to give him a platform to show it."

The idea of Kolek being illiterate has been a basketball inside joke stemming from his college days at Marquette. Hart himself brought it up on "Roommates" after the Knicks chose Kolek with the 34th overall pick of last spring's draft.

After passing his literacy test, Kolek detailed the origins of the gag, which stemmed from a showdown between Marquette and Big East foe Providence, which is stationed in Kolek's home state of Rhode Island. Heading into the game Providence fans found an outdated social media post from the Marquette program detailing strong grade point averages from their basketball student-athletes. With the star Kolek's name absent, one Friars fan declared "People forget, Tyler Kolek can't read."

Fans of Marquette's Big East opponents ran with the gag, referencing Kolek's supposed illiteracy when the Golden Eagles came to town. Things reached a fever pitch when a parody account on X joked that Kolek would be suspended for failing his midterm exams, leading to a Marquette compliance officer to publicly acknowledge and shut down the notion.

Kolek himself even referenced it when posting his graduation photos on Instagram, captioning the series "I can read."

As Hillman would note, Kolek, if anything, has done a great job of reading the games presented in front of him. Though he has yet to establish a lasting role in the Knicks' primary rotation, he has gained a cult following among fans for his accomplished collegiate career and willingness to shoot when inserted into the game during one-sided scenarios.

Kolek has also impressed in G League assignments with the Knicks' developmental club in Westchester, notably earning MVP honors when the group won the in-season title in Orlando back in December. He was back in White Plains on Tuesday, falling just short of a triple-double with 15 points and nine assists and rebounds each during a win over the Wisconsin Herd.