Introduction
We should have seen this coming. In 2022, the New York Knicks swung a minor trade that seemingly signaled a larger scheme. About a month ahead of the trade deadline, they acquired Cam Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks to pair him with his former Duke teammate and then-Knicks guard R.J. Barrett. People around the league wondered if this was the move before the move—to eventually lure Zion Williamson to New York and complete the Duke trio that reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament in 2019.
The True Plan Unveiled
We had it all wrong. Little did we know what Knicks top brass Leon Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau were plotting. We should have set our sights higher, because here’s the thing: that Duke team didn’t win an NCAA championship.
On Tuesday night, the Knicks traded Bojan Bogdanović, five first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap to acquire former Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges, a package that somehow undersells the Knicks’ bold plan. By acquiring Bridges, it appears they’re recreating Villanova’s NCAA championship squads from 2016 and 2018. Bridges will now join his former Wildcat teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo as they try to duplicate their success at the collegiate level.
Villanova’s Influence on the Knicks
The Knicks, as of now, will pursue an NBA championship while boasting four players from the same NCAA championship teams. Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright’s reaction to the trade spoke to the rarity of what’s in front of his former players:
The Knicks never did complete the Duke trio by dealing for Zion; Reddish and Barrett didn’t last long in New York, and Williamson is still in New Orleans. But clearly, the Knicks value collegiate camaraderie. The Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo collaboration helped them win 50 games and reach the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Now they’re dipping back into the well.
Historical Precedents of Collegiate Teammates in the NBA
It got me thinking: Have the Nova Knicks ever happened before? An NBA team basically attempting to produce a sequel of an NCAA championship team? The short answer is no. Not to the extent of what the Knicks are trying to do.
In Brunson, DiVincenzo, Hart, and now Bridges, the Knicks will have four players from the 2018 championship team on the roster. As soon as they take the floor, it will represent the most college teammates from an NCAA championship team to play on the same NBA team in the modern era for any team.
Actually, scratch that. It ties last season’s team that didn’t have Mikal Bridges but did have Ryan Arcidiacono. If they add free agent Arcidiacano to the roster, they will be making history, with five collegiate champion teammates suiting up for the same NBA team.
Other Examples of Collegiate Teammates in the NBA
Here are four other iterations since 1990 that have had as many as three NCAA champion teammates playing together — and what, if anything, they can tell us about what may be the fate of this group.
Pitino’s Kentucky Celtics (1997-2003): 3 Teammates at Once
- Players: Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Tony Delk, Wayne Turner, and Walter McCarty.
- Summary: Rick Pitino had won the 1996 NCAA championship at Kentucky and then took the Celtics job with the ambition of raising another Boston banner with essentially all Wildcats. Though he inherited Walker, Pitino and the Celtics drafted Mercer sixth overall and traded for McCarty ahead of the 1997-98 season. The Celtics employed Tony Delk and Wayne Turner in the following years but never more than three Wildcats at one time. Pitino’s reign as Celtics coach was considered a disaster.
- Result: No winning seasons in Pitino’s three-plus seasons.
UConn Pistons (2009-11): 3* Teammates at Once
- Players: Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva.
- Summary: Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva didn’t quite overlap with Rip Hamilton’s college tenure. Hamilton hailed from the 1998-99 UConn team, and Gordon and Villanueva from the 2003-04 team. Both reunited in free agency with the Pistons in 2009.
- Result: No playoff appearances in two seasons.
Maryland Wizards (2003-04): 3 Teammates at Once
- Players: Steve Blake, Lonny Baxter, and Juan Dixon.
- Summary: The 2002 Maryland Terrapins produced four NBA players after beating Indiana for the NCAA title. Three of them played for the Wizards almost immediately. Blake and Dixon were drafted by the Wizards, and Baxter was added midseason in 2003-04.
- Result: A dreadful 25-57 season with all three Terrapins. The 2004-05 Wizards reached the Eastern Conference semifinals with Blake and Dixon coming off the bench.
Duke Grizzlies (2020-21): 3 Teammates at Once
- Players: Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow.
- Summary: The 2014-15 Duke Blue Devils produced eight NBA players. Allen, Jones, and Winslow eventually reunited on the 2020-21 Memphis Grizzlies.
- Result: One playoff appearance as bench players.
Conclusion
The Knicks are attempting something unique by bringing together multiple players from Villanova’s championship teams. This bold strategy could either bring unparalleled success or highlight the challenges of translating collegiate camaraderie into NBA triumphs. Only time will tell if the Nova Knicks can replicate their college magic on the professional stage.(Superace88)