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“He’s got a unique humility and I think it’s intelligence,” Wright said. “He looks at what people say, like he’s too slow, he’s not athletic enough, he’s too short. He looks at that, and says, ‘I understand why they say that, they’re not wrong. But I’m going to figure out a way to use that to my advantage internally in terms of motivating myself, but also in my opponents underestimating me. I’m going to take advantage of that.’ He looks at it as a positive. “His next challenge is, I don’t think anybody is going to underestimate him anymore.”
But Ford truly began to understand Brunson when he asked him back to play for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Brunson wanted to play for the national team again, but he had scheduled his wedding on a date that conflicted with the tournament. Ford and executive director Grant Hill prepared to move on. A few days later though, Ford got a call. Brunson confirmed that he would play. "[Villanova coach] Jay Wright called and was like, 'I can't f---ing believe he's changing his wedding to play for you.'"
Seeing the relationship between these two up close, I became curious to learn more about the dynamic in college. That is when I learned that Hart hasn’t always played the role of protector for Bridges. In fact, it was the contrary. He used to try to punk him. Bridges started his college career at Villanova as a redshirt. Hart was an upperclassman and hated practicing (he still does). To get the most out of Hart, Wildcat coaches would try to trigger Hart with words. His head coach, Jay Wright, would say things to Hart that “you can’t say in an interview” just to tick him off. It often worked. However, Bridges was often the person tasked with guarding Hart, who was always practicing angrily and out of spite.
A league source confirmed that Jay Wright and Leon Rose are very close, have a great relationship and speak regularly. Rose knows Wright is very happy in retirement. So leave that name off the list of candidates.
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Ian Begley: With regard to reports/suggestions of Jay Wright as a Knick coaching candidate, yes, team president Leon Rose & Wright have a close relationship and speak regularly. Because of that, Rose knows Wright is very happy as a retiree, per league source. So Wright is not a candidate for the job, league source said. @SbondyNBA first on it.
Josh Hart: Man Thank You. Stay retired! 😂 @CoachJayWright
When it comes to available coaches, longtime Villanova coach Jay Wright — who has long expressed a reluctance to make the leap to the NBA — and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant quickly emerged as presumed likely candidates … emphasis on presumed. Wright is obviously close with the Knicks' former Villanova trio of Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges but, again, has repeatedly said that he does not have NBA coaching aspirations.
Seth Davis: I have been working with Jay Wright on TV for three years. Based on every conversation we have had I would say there is a greater chance that I will be the next Knicks coach than him. The difference is if they call me I will say yes.
Jeff Goodman: I’ve talked to Jay Wright several times about the possibility of coming out of retirement. Each time he said he is ecstatic with his life right now and has no interest in coaching again. It’s also very different coaching guys in college and coaching the same guys in the NBA.
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Dave McMenamin: Donte DiVincenzo came into the locker room pregame flashing his fingers in a V, with a huge smile on his face, talking about Pope Leo. “I’m having a great day!” he exclaimed. He said Coach Jay Wright texted their Wildcats group chat: “Did you see it guys?!?! Nova pride!”
Jalen Brunson on coach Tom Thibodeau and Jay Wright: They’re both maniacs when it comes to their profession. They want the best out of you. They want to push you to exhaustion and make you the best player you can be. They’re both very similar when it comes to that, but they both go about it differently. Thibs, obviously, is a guy who’s known for having that love for the game by staying in the gym and the way he prepares himself and the team for games, which is different from Coach Wright. With Coach Wright, I feel like he pushed us differently. It’s kind of hard to explain, but being in the middle of it and seeing both sides of it. It’s two totally different people with the same mindset and agenda.
To get the sophomore to practice the way he played in games, Villanova and former Knicks teammate Ryan Arcidiacono told The Athletic that coaches would have to intentionally push Hart’s buttons. Wildcats assistant coach Ashley Howard said the staff “would have to talk trash” to Hart in order to get him engaged. Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright would challenge him separately in ways that “you can’t say in an interview.” Bridges started his college career on the scout team and would be matched up against Hart. He ended up being the target of Hart’s aggressive energy directed toward the coaches. “Josh use to terrorize Mikal early on,” Howard told The Athletic. “Mikal wasn’t physically where he eventually got, and Josh is Josh.”
Bridges said durability was instilled by his mother and Villanova coach Jay Wright, but there were some dicey moments along the way. “One where I was in Phoenix, where I hyperextended my knee,” Bridges explained. “We were going to San Antonio, I was real nervous. It was painful. … Then when I was in Brooklyn, I did something to my wrist. I thought I broke my hand. I couldn’t sleep at night. It was bad. And then when I woke up, it was just my wrist.”