There is nothing more that the New York Knicks would have wanted on Monday night than to score a victory over the Toronto Raptors to send them off on their merry way en route to their impending NBA Cup clash against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. And that's exactly what they got; thanks to some clutch heroics from Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks took a 113-108 victory to improve to 15-9 on the season.
But apparently, according to Knicks forward Josh Hart, star point guard Jalen Brunson had a greater want in mind all night long — hilariously invoking Raptors sophomore Gradey Dick's name in the process of saying what might be one of the most out of pocket things any NBA player has ever said.
“Second half, Jalen Brunson kept saying, I want Dick. I’ll take Dick,” Hart told reporters postgame, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
Hart has always been one of the funniest people in the league; his deadpan humor is nearly unmatched, and one would have to imagine that the Knicks forward said that about Brunson with a straight face. But Hart hilariously cannot be joking about these matters, especially given the suggestive nature of the Raptors sophomore's last name.
For what it's worth, Dick has embraced jokes regarding his surname in the past. As one would recall, the Raptors sophomore accepted a jersey swap with Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black last season, giving birth to one of the wildest and most hilarious moments in NBA history. Thus, it's guaranteed that Dick's heart won't turn hard following Hart's joke towards Brunson.
It's good that Dick has a soft stance towards jokes regarding his surname and that he's not extending any ill-will towards such banter — which is good news for the Knicks forward.
Jalen Brunson responds to Josh Hart's wild joke after Knicks win
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and forward OG Anunoby (8) react after a three point basket by center Karl-Anthony Towns
© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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And while Jalen Brunson may have allegedly said, according to Josh Hart, that he “wants” and “will take” Gradey Dick, the Knicks guard vehemently denied such accusations — even posting on his official account on X (formerly Twitter) to clear his name.
“He’s lying on my name,” Brunson wrote.
Upon closer look, it does look like Hart truly is lying regarding this matter (of course he is). The Knicks guard was defending Ochai Agbaji to end the game, with Mikal Bridges being the one to take the Dick assignment. Nonetheless, don't expect this to be the last time that Hart makes fun of Brunson in an out of pocket manner.