Not all NBA postseason accolades carry the same weight or prestige as prestigious honors like Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year.
This sentiment was perhaps felt by New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, who was presented with the league`s `minutes champion` trophy on Tuesday. Known for his sense of humor, Hart seemed to find more amusement in the award than feeling deeply honored by the recognition.
Sharing a photograph of the trophy on his Instagram story, Hart added the caption, “`Minutes champion?`” accompanied by laughing emojis. He lightheartedly commented, “`Guess I got my cardio in this year.`”
According to data from NBA.com, Hart led the entire league in playing time this season, averaging 37.6 minutes per game for the Knicks under head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Hart is the first player on the Knicks roster to finish as the NBA`s minutes leader since Julius Randle also averaged 37.6 minutes per game back in the 2020-21 season. While Hart`s career average stands at 30.4 minutes, his workload has increased significantly, averaging 37.25 minutes per game across the first four matchups of New York`s ongoing playoff series against the Boston Celtics.