Now in his fifth season in the NBA, Josh Hart, 26, has spent his career in L.A. and La., arriving in New Orleans via a 2019 trade from the Lakers. The Villanova University product joined Pelicans.com to discuss some of the standout moments from his career, including the time the Worldwide Leader in Sports fortuitously cut away from a potential game-winning basket in Los Angeles:
Most memorable moment in the NBA: “That’s a tough one. Probably scoring 30 points against the Clippers.” (Note: Hart tallied his career high in scoring on April 11, 2018, as a member of the Lakers, during the final game of his rookie season).
Most memorable dunk in the NBA: [laughs] “I don’t really dunk. I don’t have that many, so I guess all of them are memorable, because they are so rare.”
Most embarrassing moment in the NBA: “I was in L.A. and we were playing I think San Antonio. For some reason I was on the floor at the end of a close game my rookie year. I got the ball and missed a layup, but mid-layup, ESPN flipped to another show or a commercial. I missed the layup. I guess that my most embarrassing-slash-best thing ESPN did for me, because they didn’t show my missed layup.”
Toughest player to face at his position: “Probably James Harden.”
Most underrated player in the NBA: “I would say Jrue Holiday, but I think he’s shaken that underrated label. So maybe C.J. McCollum. I think he’s an even better player than what he’s portrayed.”
Best uniforms in the NBA (besides the Pelicans’): “Lakers, for sure. Their jersey is always fire, so you have to go with the Lake Show.”
Favorite road arena: “Moda Center in Portland is by far the best I’ve played in.”
Favorite road trip, based on the city: “New York, Philadelphia, Washington. If you have that road trip, it’s perfect. I’m from the East Coast, so all of those places are kind of like home for me.”