NBA fans hit back at Josh Hart following Knicks star's parlays comment: "Here is you doing an ad"
The New York Knicks haven't been as consistent as some experts thought they would be at the start of the season. They've alternated strong efforts with not-so-great ones, and that's not the sign of an NBA championship.
That's why multiple fans may have gotten into the player's mentions to call them out after a slow start, as they may have cost them money. With that in mind, Josh Hart made sure to let everybody know that the players don't care about their wagers:
"No one cares about yall parlays lol," Hart tweeted.
Needless to say, it didn't take long before someone showed up with receipts, and a fan clapped back at him by posting a picture of him promoting sports betting content on his podcast:
"Anyways here is you doing an ad for a sports gambling company," the fan replied.
Of course, he wasn't the only one who called out Josh Hart, as other fans also took offense at the post:
"It’s funny how all the players act like the NBA isn’t partnered up with these gambling companies and that goes into their salary," one fan said.
"Says the guy that bets on football and tweets about it every weekend," another fan said.
Here are some more reactions from fans.
"Tremendous conundrum Casinos paying athletes who help them profit is sick," a fan said.
"Only cares about his bag, let us eat too bro," another fan said.
"I really think it should be illegal for them to do that while being paid by the books," one fan said.
The sports gambling industry has made huge strides in the NBA and all major sports, with most podcasts now promoting their offers.
As long as the integrity of the game isn't compromised or the fans don't disrespect the players, it's all good.
Josh Hart urges Knicks players to step up after inconsistent start
Of course, there are more important things going on in Josh Hart's mind right now. He knows the team hasn't lived up to its potential.
"We have had problems on the defensive end all season," Hart said following the loss to the Utah Jazz. "If you don't score and you're not playing well on defense, you've got a recipe for disaster. We have to figure things out on defense. We have enough talent on offense to play well and win games, even if certain players don't have their day. But we have to step up on defense."
Hart wants the team to take more pride in their physicality like they did last season, and it starts with himself:
“We’re just not playing well enough,” continued Josh Hart. “We’re not being physical enough. We’re not giving enough ball pressure, myself included. We’ve got to figure it out. We can’t just be an offensive team and that’s what we’ve been for the first [16] games. And when you have games like this where you’re not shooting well and not figuring it out offensively, it looks bad.”
The Knicks made a big statement in the following game by taking down the Denver Nuggets on the road. Now, it's all about being consistent and sustaining that kind of effort on a nightly basis.