New York Knicks forward Josh Hart is unfazed by the possibility of being defended by San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Hart is embracing the challenge of going up against the 7-foot-4 Frenchman in defensive sequences on the grandest stage in basketball.
Hart spoke to the media on Sunday ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs.
Wembanyama, 22, is the youngest Defensive Player of the Year winner in NBA history. The Spurs superstar is also the first unanimous selection in the award's history.
He beat out Oklahoma City Thunder big Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson for the honor. It marked the third straight season he led the league in blocks.
Hart, however, welcomes the attention that comes with drawing a defender of Wembanyama's caliber. For him, it is a badge of honor.
"The only unanimous defensive player of the year is guarding me," he told reporters. "That's a good sign for me, right? It means I'm a pretty good basketball player."
Wembanyama has blossomed into a full-fledged megastar in the 2026 playoffs. The Western Conference Finals MVP averaged 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.4 blocks across 18 postseason games.
He joined Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and David Robinson as the only players to win both Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Hart is not putting up Wembanyama-like numbers, but he has been the heart and soul of the Eastern Conference champions. He averaged 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.8 steals in the 2026 playoffs.
The do-it-all forward made clear his approach will not waver regardless of who guards him.
"I go into the game, and I play the game the way the game needs me to play," he said. "And if that's shooting or scoring, cool. If that's rebounding, defending, cool. I don't value what I do based on other people's game plan or what the box score says."
