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New York Knicks insider suggests there may be growing locker-room issue with a top star

A notable New York Knicks insider claims Josh Hart’s curious comments recently were no accident and could be evidence of locker-room issues.

Knicks fans fell in love with the 2023-24 team. They only had one true big-time star and a roster full of hard-nosed players willing to play good defense and leave it all on the floor. It helped lead the team to the No. 2 seed in the East. And if not for injuries in the playoffs, they likely would have reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Related: NBA insider reveals why Kobe Bryant believed he would end up playing for New York Knicks

That is why it was understandable the organization made a pair of blockbuster trades to bolster their chances of reaching the 2025 NBA Finals. By adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, there was always expected to be a learning curve. But over the first couple of months of the season, they have played better than some expected and own the third-best record in the East.

However, after some surprising losses to the Chicago Bulls, a beat-up Orlando Magic, and the Detroit Pistons, Josh Hart made some interesting comments about some “ego” problems in the locker room. SNY NBA insider Ian Begley claimed Tuesday, that the team leader is trying to avoid even bigger problems with his direct opinion.

  • New York Knicks record (2024-25): 26-15

Could Josh Hart’s recent comments be directed at New York Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns?

new york knicks
Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

“He’s said a couple of times recently the Knicks have to go out there without egos, without any individual agendas, and go out there and sacrifice… I talked to a few people in the aftermath of it. Some people internally don’t think he was just throwing out cliches,” Begley said on SNY’s “Putback” podcast. “I can’t guess at who Josh was addressing specifically. I feel very comfortable saying it was not Jalen Brunson.

“It should raise some eyebrows. The group doesn’t feel like a singular unit yet. There are still things to clean up from the team cohesion standpoint,” he added. “Is it fair to expect that to come in 41 games? I don’t know by Josh saying what he said, I think it raises eyebrows.”

  • New York Knicks stats (Team): 117.2 points per game, 110.8 points against, +6.4 point differential

So who could Hart be talking about? Obviously, Brunson is out of the equation. He also probably isn’t talking about any reserve players. OG Anunoby was on this team last year and his whole game is about effort and sacrifice. That means it must be Bridges or Towns.

However, Bridges, Hart, and Brunson won a national championship with Villanova and have been friends for years. Towns is having an All-Star season. But there has been some speculation it could be at the expense of others. He also rubbed head coach Tom Thibodeau the wrong way when they were together in Minnesota. This will certainly be something to monitor in the weeks ahead.

Related: New York Knicks reportedly made a play for key player from Golden State Warriors last title team during the summer

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