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But eight years later, the college teammates became legends together again, leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years with a 94-90 win over the Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. They are the first trio of teammates to win an NCAA title (2016) and an NBA title together. “Those are my brothers for life,” Hart said. “We have a bond that’ll never be broken. We won a championship together in college, but this one obviously takes the cake. “We’ve been built for this moment. We’ve all been forged in the fire … Coach [Jay] Wright helped us be cut from a different cloth. No matter the moment, it’s never too big for us.”
Alex Kennedy: Josh Hart on winning with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges: "Those are my brothers for life. We have a bond for life. We obviously won the [NCAA] championship, but this one takes the cake. But those are my brothers. I wouldn't want to go into a game with anyone else besides them."
Bridges and Hart -- the other two parts of the "Nova Knicks" trio that also includes Jalen Brunson, three players who were NCAA champions at Villanova and teamed up in New York to try to do the same -- combined to score 27 points. Bridges had 14, Hart 13. "I don't know what I'm feeling," Brunson said. "I'm in awe. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it."
NBA Communications: The Knicks' Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart could become the fifth set of teammates to win NCAA (Villanova) and NBA championships together. 🏆 Derek Anderson & Antoine Walker (Kentucky, Heat) 🏆 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Lucius Allen (UCLA, Bucks) 🏆 John Havlicek & Larry Siegfried (Ohio State, Celtics) 🏆 Bill Russell & K.C. Jones (San Francisco, Celtics) *Players must have played in at least one NCAA Tournament game and at least one NBA playoff game. The NBA Finals begin Wednesday, June 3 at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.
Dybansta is the presumptive No. 1 pick, but the next set of prospects could fall in any order. Moments after the lottery results were revealed, many young stars stated their respective cases to Grind City Media for what they would bring to their future NBA teams. “I’m betting on myself to be the No. 1 pick, but I can play anywhere,” said Dybansta, who led the NCAA in scoring at 25.5 points per game. “We are a crazy-talented group in this lottery. You’ve seen it this year. I believe we’ll be one of the best ever classes coming into the NBA.”
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Alexa Philippou: Tina Charles, a legend of the game and future Hall of Famer, has announced her retirement from basketball. A 3x Olympic gold medalist, 2x NCAA champion, former WNBA No. 1 overall pick & MVP. She retires second in points scored in WNBA history and is the career leader in rebounds and field goals.
Oh No He Didn't: Wemby on meeting Hakeem: "We met at the finals of NCAA. Right away he was very friendly and he told me right away that he wanted to share what he had what he knew. All the footwork stuff things that look easy but aren't but he makes them easier"
Wemby on meeting Hakeem:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 16, 2026
"We met at the finals of NCAA. Right away he was very friendly and he told me right away that he wanted to share what he had what he knew. All the footwork stuff things that look easy but aren't but he makes them easier" https://t.co/YbyaXKS17s pic.twitter.com/VCDwA5Cnwe
UNC’s full-court press eventually won Malone over. But so did the fact that his daughter, after hearing his name mentioned for the job, told Malone explicitly: Dad, I want you to come. “So I did,” Malone said, while joking that came with the understanding that he and Bridget cannot run into one another late at night at Pantana Bob’s, a local bar. Lastly, UNC sold Malone on being a reverse Larry Brown, of sorts. Brown — who played at UNC under McGuire and Smith — remains the only head coach ever to win both an NBA and NCAA championship. Malone’s already checked the NBA box, but now has another opportunity to forever etch himself in hoops lore.
University of Louisville freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., is entering the 2026 NBA draft, he told ESPN's Andscape. Brown averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games for the Cardinals during the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder missed 14 games due to a lower back injury, including the NCAA tournament and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. ESPN's Jeremy Woo predicted Brown to be a seventh overall pick in the draft in his latest projection on March 11.
Dave McMenamin: The UCLA Women’s Basketball 2026 NCAA National Championship team will be in attendance for tonight’s Lakers-Thunder game and be honored on the court for their title win over South Carolina.
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University of Louisville freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. told ESPN Andscape that he plans to enter the 2026 NBA draft. Brown averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game in 21 games for the Cardinals during the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder missed 14 games with a lower back injury, including the NCAA tournament and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, but says he expects to take part in predraft workouts for teams. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projects Brown will be picked seventh overall in the draft. “Obviously, it’s just been a dream of mine to be able to be in this position,” Brown told ESPN Andscape. “The little kid in me would freaking scream just to know that I have an opportunity to play at the highest level, which has been a dream of mine since I started picking up a basketball. So yeah, I’ll be taking that next step.”
Jon Rothstein: The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft is May 27th at 11:59 PM ET, per an NCAA official.
Tim Reynolds: Jaime Jaquez, to team broadcast, on going to watch UCLA (and his sister) play for NCAA title: "It's going to be pretty epic. I'm really happy for my sister and her team. They're playing so hard as a group of seniors who've been there for a very long time so this is their moment."
Abby Jones: Dallas Mavericks Co-interim GM, Matt Riccardi on the upcoming draft regarding the upcoming talent playing in the NCAA Tournament: “If you’re just now paying attention during the NCAA tournament, you’re too late. I’ve seen all of our Top 20 guys, 3-4 times live already.”