A lot has changed in the world since Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson won an NCAA championship together for Villanova in 2016.
Hart, who was selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, has now played for three different NBA franchises (Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Portland Trail Blazers) since then. He is now making his way to his fourth professional team as part of a deal with the New York Knicks.
While on the Knicks, Hart will reunite with Brunson, his former collegiate teammate. Brunson would go on to win a second collegiate national title at Villanova in 2018 before turning pro and hearing his name called in the draft later that season.
Jalen Brunson found out he was reuniting with Villanova teammate Josh Hart moments after his college jersey was retired 💙
(via @Capj1344) pic.twitter.com/Qz0qvR3Z1s
— ESPN (@espn) February 9, 2023
Brunson coincidentally returned to the Villanova campus on Tuesday evening for a jersey retirement ceremony, which is actually where he was when he got the news that Hart was traded to New York.
The 6-foot-2 guard was clearly thrilled to reunite with his former collegiate running mate and he couldn’t hold back the excitement. Mikal Bridges, the Phoenix Suns wing who was a freshman on that Villanova roster, was also happy to see his teammates reunite:
Jb and jhart🥲
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) February 9, 2023
Ryan Arcidiacono, who was named Big East co-Player of the Year in 2015 and NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2016, was also teammates with Brunson and Hart at Villanova.
Arcidiacono was on the Knicks roster this season but he was actually included in the deal, alongside Cam Reddish, that sent Hart to New York.
