On Wednesday, Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson and guard Josh Hart caught up with some Yankees players before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch against the White Sox.
Fresh off their 2026 NBA Championship win, Brunson and Hart received warm congratulations from Yankees manager Aaron Boone and players like first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, catcher JC Escala, and pitcher Keim Schlitler, as seen in a video shared by the Yankees.
“It’s been a long week, but a great one,” Brunson, named the 2026 NBA Finals MVP, remarked to Boone.
Boone smiled, saying, “I got goosebumps.”
The two athletes, who ended a 53-year title drought for Madison Square Garden, engaged in light banter with several Yankees players, making the clubhouse feel lively.
Goldschmidt asked Hart if he was ready to throw the pitch, to which Hart responded that he used to play baseball as a kid. Brunson confidently added, “We’ll be fine.” Goldschmidt joked, “The only people there are New York fans waiting for a strike.”
They were seen practicing their throws in the bullpen, and Hart took a moment to congratulate outfield prospect Spencer Jones, who had just been called up by the Yankees.
Brunson’s wife Ali and Hart’s wife Shannon were also in attendance, sporting Yankees jerseys.
Interestingly, Hart has a personal connection to the Yankees—his great-uncle, Elston Howard, was the franchise’s first African-American player, honored in Monument Park.
The former Villanova teammates threw out the first pitch in front of a crowd of 38,558, a warm-up for the Knicks’ victory parade scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
