With a 42-23 record, the Knicks are sitting pretty in the 3rd spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s somewhere they’d have liked to be around in early March to confirm their playoff spot for mid-April. But the ambition for Jalen Brunson and Co. is the championship. And for that, they need to lock in, leaving everything behind, even their podcast. That’s what Kendrick Perkins said in a recent First Take episode. So when Knicks captain and Josh Hart put their podcast caps on, a reply was inevitable. Has to be?
” (Paul) George is not the only person that should be taking a break from podcast during the basketball season. I feel like Jalen Bronson and Josh Hart as well need to take a break,” Perk advised the Knicks duo recently. But that didn’t go down well with the Knicks stars.
“I’m going to say this – there are much worse things you could be doing than having a podcast,” the guard told in the presence of Knicks owner, Jim Dolan, during the latest episode of the Roommates Show clearing he was not very welcoming of that. “That’s all I’m gonna say. You can y’all can drag that, y’all can figure out whatever y’all want to figure out,” Brunson seemingly told his critics, looking directly at the camera. Alone? No, his long-time Villanova teammate, was also in agreement.
As an example, Hart mentioned that anyone playing video games for four hours is also something outside their professional sphere. But nobody complains. Brunson then gave the example of James Harden, who’s known for his party mood. But he’s one of the top hoopers this season. For him, the only thing that counts is if the players are hooping. Jalen Brunson is averaging 26.3 points per game in 61 games and is one of the most clutch players this season. So Perkins’ narrative loses its steam the moment someone cross-checks his performance. Even Josh Hart has been defensively efficient with 9.8 rebounds, a team second-high after Karl-Anthony Towns. His 1.4 steals are joint team-high with OG Anunoby!
“No matter what you do, if it’s not your profession, someone’s going to be saying something like, ‘You need to be focusing on your profession.’… I’m going to put myself through h—. I need some type of getaway sometimes,” Brunson further added. For Brunson and Hart, the work ethic is the only indicator of a player’s dedication. They’re also free to offload the physical and mental strains of the long season in ways they see fit and podcasting tops that. But they weren’t alone as the duo had the owners’ back. But what did he say?
Jan 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts with guard Josh Hart (3) against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Jim Dolan also set the record straight about his players’ podcasting. “First thing you have to have is a belief that you can win, that you can win any game, that you can win the championship. You really really believe that, right then you aren’t going to worry about podcasts,” he explained. That’s the biggest approval of continuing the podcast Jalen Brunson needs, when his employer goes on record to say that.
But even in this tight-knit situation, some rumblings came to the surface. Since Mikal Bridges’ comments on excessive minutes under Tom Thibodeau, one ESPN analyst has shown concern regarding the head coach’s future in New York.
ESPN analyst makes a strong statement about HC Tom Thibodeau’s future
It’s safe to say that Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart’s off-court antics aren’t interfering with the team’s championship dreams, but what’s causing concern is the coach’s approach, after it was discovered that his strategy could jeopardize the team’s chances this season. Bridges has recently opened up about the excessive minutes that the HC makes the starting line-up play.
“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” the 28-year-old said. He believes, “You’ll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we’ve got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don’t need to play 48 (minutes), 47.”
This is not a new story for Thibs, who has a history of overplaying minutes in his stint with the Bulls. But it could be a major concern for the NY franchise. Bridges has played 37.8 minutes per game this season, and too many minutes could lead to burnout early. And you can say Stephen A. Smith has a strong opinion against Thib’s coaching style.
On the latest episode of First Take, the ESPN host didn’t hesitate to state, “When he speaks about minutes played on behalf of himself and his starters, when you traded five picks to get him because he’s best friends with your superstar (Jalen Brunson), who, by the way, got his own podcast with Josh Hart. It’s not an accident that when you got three of the top six minutes per games being played by New York Knicks starters, and one of them speaks out. Yo, we need some rest.”
“[Mikal Bridges] has not been that guy.” @rosenbergradio DISAGREES with @stephenasmith on Tom Thibodeau being “in trouble” after Bridges’ comments about playing too many minutes with the Knicks pic.twitter.com/tsIzHKKPEw
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 14, 2025
The analyst believes Thibs needs to trust someone from the bench as well, otherwise, leading the team to the postseason will be difficult due to worn-out bodies. And that’s not it. Stephen A. went on to add, “If he doesn’t do it, Molly (co-host), they’re gonna get another coach in a couple of years. I’m telling you.”
It’s highly alarming for the head coach, as no franchise would want to risk their players’ health. Most importantly, the player they brought in to form a Villanova reunion and achieve the same success in New York that they had in college. The last thing Thibs would want now is insecurity in his position. So, it’s probably time for him to take a crucial step.
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