Josh Hart takes dig at Philadelphia fans after Knicks fan takeover

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter during Game 4 of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Josh Hart takes dig at Philadelphia fans after Knicks fan takeover

By Adam Gretz | Last updated May 10, 2026 9:35 PM ET

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As soon as the second-round matchup between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers was set, Philadelphia was concerned.

Not necessarily about the game happening on the floor, but at the potential for Knicks fans to take over the 76ers' home building and turn it into a home-away-from-home.

The 76ers tried to put zip code blocks on ticket sales. Joel Embiid pleaded with fans to not sell their seats.

In the end, none of it worked, and to add insult to all of it, Knicks guard Josh Hart threw some serious shade at Philadelphia following their 144-114 Game 4 win on Sunday to complete the sweep.

Josh Hart takes dig at Philadelphia fans

From the opening tip-off on Sunday it was pretty apparent that Knicks fans were going to make their voices heard. If they did not outnumber 76ers fans, they didn't miss by much, and they definitely made sure everybody knew they were there.

Hart was asked after the game if he was surprised by how many Knicks fans found their way into the building and delivered a pretty crushing blow to Philadelphia fans.

"I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don't know if it is anymore."

Josh Hart who went to college outside of Philadelphia... pic.twitter.com/pw0KlP8y9N
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 11, 2026

That has to sting a little more for Philadelphia fans coming from Hart. He is one of the several Knicks players that played his college basketball just at Villanova, which is located just outside of Philadelphia, so he knows first-hand what kind of sports town it is.

Just to get a sense of what the crowd in Philadelphia looked like on Sunday, it was this.

Knicks fans in Philly for Game 4.

This is what it sounds like every time New York scores. pic.twitter.com/6l90FvcQxu
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 10, 2026

If you did not know it was a Knicks road game it would have been easy to confuse that for Madison Square Garden.

There were also large groups of Knicks fans behind the basket holding up printed pictures of Mitchell Robinson's Game 3 dunk over Joel Embiid whenever the 76ers star was at the free-throw line.

None of that is what you expect at a Philadelphia home game.

Now the Knicks get to sit back and wait to see if their Eastern Conference Final opponent will be the Detroit Pistons or Cleveland Cavaliers.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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