• Faith: Christian
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  March 06, 1995

Joshua Aaron Hart was born on March 6, 1995, in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the son of Moses and Pat Hart. Josh has two siblings, Moses Joseph Hart and Aimee Hart.

During Josh's upbringing, the couple's provision for their kids comes from Moses working as a chef and Pat working as a waitress. Their service-based occupations showed Josh the value of humbly serving others. Through regularly attending church services, the Harts also taught Josh the importance of having faith in God.

It's this core belief that compelled his father, Moses, to help Josh become a man of his word. Moses did this by making Josh fulfill his promise to complete the Boy Scouts of America program. Consequently, Josh earned the rank of Eagle Scout during his senior year of high school.

High school is also a time when Josh learned to make sacrifices and overcome adversity. To attend Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, Josh stayed at a friend's house during the week and at a tutor's home on Saturdays. This means he'd usually only see his family on Sundays.

Transferring to Sidwell Friends after attending public schools all his life required an adjustment Hart couldn't make initially. As a result, he was almost kicked out of the school until some parents advocated on his behalf.

Thanks to their support, Josh overcame this off-court struggle and excelled athletically. In 79 games, Josh scored 1,594 points while averaging 9.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals.

These accolades earned him a ranking of 82nd in ESPN's class of 2013 Top 100. Thanks to this ranking, he attended Villanova University on a basketball scholarship. Through 146 games with the Wildcats, Josh averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He also shot 51.1 percent from the field and 72.0 percent from the free-throw line.

These stats earned him several accolades, including the 2014-2015 Big East Sixth Man of the Year award, the 2015-2016 NCAA Tournament National Champion, and the 2016-2017 Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

After a stellar college career, Josh was selected by the Utah Jazz as the 30th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers that same night. Josh's draft night would be a symbol of his first five seasons in the NBA. Josh would become a journeyman playing for the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Portland Trail Blazers.

After being traded again during the 2022-2023 season, Josh finally found career stability with the New York Knicks. A huge part of this stability comes from considering how relocating from Portland to New Orleans took a toll on his wife, Shannon.

The two married on August 28, 2021, and are the parents of twin boys, Hendrix Aaron Hart and Haze Dana Hart. Consequently, Josh chose to re-sign with the Knicks after the 2022-2023 season, realizing they'd be close to their support system in the Washington, DC area.

With his family comfortable off the court, Josh can devote his attention to being an essential part of the Knicks' game plan. In four seasons with the Knicks, he's averaged 11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during the regular season. He's also shot 49.7 percent from the field and 76.0 percent from the free-throw line.

In four consecutive playoff appearances, he's averaged 12.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. He also made 45.8 percent of his field goals and 72.0 percent of his free throws.

Additionally, he's coming off an Eastern Conference Finals Game 2, where he scored a playoff career high of 26 points. He also had 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, giving the Knicks a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Josh Hart's Religious Beliefs

While Josh Hart's performance during the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals is impressive, he doesn't glory in his abilities. During the post-game interview, he attributed his effort to faith in God. He also mentioned that he does not approach the game with an ego, as daily prayers for humility have burned that mentality out of him years ago.

Instead, like Paul, he chooses to boast in his weaknesses, so Christ's power can rest on him 2 Corinthians 12:9, New International Version). He boasts knowing that God's grace is sufficient for him and that the Lord's power is perfected through his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).

This humility enables him to be more Christ-like, recognizing that his purpose is to serve as a servant leader to his teammates. He even exalts his teammates above himself, praising them for their character and work ethic through a grueling 2025-2026 season.

Along with this most recent expression of faith, Josh also proves he's unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by publicly praying before games and crediting God for victories. He also declares himself a follower of Christ on his Instagram page and wears apparel that represents Christianity.

Josh's life and career prove that those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God will be lifted up in due time (1 Peter 5:6, NIV).