New York Knicks guard Josh Hart has found himself at the centre of a viral storm following the team's historic NBA Cup victory, after footage emerged of him performing an obscene act on teammate Jalen Brunson during the trophy celebrations.
Bizarre Moment Overshadows Historic Victory
The incident occurred on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, moments after the Knicks secured their first piece of silverware in over half a century. In a stunning comeback, the team overturned a deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 at the T-Mobile Arena, capturing the NBA Cup for the first time.
This victory ended a 52-year wait for a title, with the franchise's last triumph being the NBA Championship back in 1973. However, the euphoria of the long-awaited win was momentarily overshadowed by Hart's actions. As the team lifted the trophy, video footage shows Hart appearing to poke his thumb into the backside of MVP Jalen Brunson.
Brunson's Fury and Hart's Embarrassed Reaction
The act prompted an immediate and angry reaction from Brunson, who swiftly turned around to stare at his teammate in clear disbelief. Hart, meanwhile, looked away as if nothing had happened. Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns was captured laughing, having seemingly witnessed the entire event.
As the clip spread rapidly across social media platform X, Hart addressed the embarrassment head-on. He posted the footage with the caption, 'Damn in 4k.....' accompanied by laughing emojis, later jokingly claiming 'IT WAS AI' in an attempt to deflect from the awkward situation.
A Pattern of Behaviour and a Hard-Fought Triumph
This is not the first time Hart has been caught on camera poking Brunson inappropriately. In February 2025, during a postgame interview, Hart tapped Brunson's butt, leading Brunson to audibly call him a 'F***ing a**hole'.
The victory itself was a monumental achievement for the Knicks, secured through a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback that thwarted San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama's bid for his first trophy. The win was spearheaded by a barnstorming performance from Jordan Clarkson, OG Anunoby, and the NBA Cup MVP, Jalen Brunson. Anunoby top-scored with 28 points, while Brunson added 25.
While the NBA Cup is only in its third season and does not carry the prestige of the full NBA Championship, the win allows the Knicks to hang a new banner in Madison Square Garden alongside the one from 1973. The team joins the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks as winners of the fledgling tournament.
