How much does chemistry matter in the NBA? The Knicks would argue it matters quite a bit.
New York undoubtedly has a talented roster, but plenty of talented rosters throughout the NBA can't sustain winning. By reuniting college teammates, the Knicks have blended talent and friendship — and the result was the franchise's first trip to the conference finals in 25 years.
If Villanova's success in the late 2010s was any indication, the chemistry between the duo is a factor that shouldn't be ignored.
Here's what you need to know about the "Nova Knicks" and how New York paired three former Villanova teammates together.
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Who are the Nova Knicks?
Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart were all teammates at Villanova, winning a national championship together in 2016. Brunson and Bridges would become catalysts of a second Villanova championship in 2018 before heading to the NBA.
The original "Nova Knicks" were Brunson, Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, with Hart joining the team at the 2023 trade deadline and DiVincenzo signing with New York five months later.
For a few months, the Knicks actually had four Villanova teammates on the roster — but they never played together in orange and blue. New York traded for Bridges in June 2024 and appeared to be headed into the season with four Villanova players on the roster before DiVincenzo was included in the Knicks' surprise trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.
While DiVincenzo was unhappy with the deal, the Knicks recovered from the roster shakeup and hit their stride in the playoffs with Brunson, Bridges and Hart all serving as catalysts alongside Towns and OG Anunoby.
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges Villanova careers
Jalen Brunson
Brunson was the rare blue-chip recruit landed by Jay Wright and Villanova, and it didn't take long for him to morph into a key contributor for the Wildcats.
After starting but playing a smaller role on Villanova's 2016 title-winning team as a freshman, Brunson stepped into a larger role as a sophomore and morphed into a star as a junior. Brunson won AP Player of the Year in 2017-18, averaging 18.9 points per game and leading Villanova to its second national championship in three years.
Josh Hart
Hart's Villanova career started earlier than any of the "Nova Knicks," as he arrived in 2013 and emerged as a contributor off the bench before taking on a starting role in his junior season.
Hart averaged 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on Villanova's 2016 championship team, and he was the Wildcats' leading scorer with 18.7 points per game as a senior in 2016-17 before being drafted by the Lakers.
Mikal Bridges
Bridges spent three seasons at Villanova, coming off the bench in the Wildcats' first championship season, but he became an irreplaceable two-way player for Wright by the time the program won its second title in three seasons.
A defensive standout, Bridges also contributed 17.7 points per game as a junior and scored 19 points in Villanova's championship game blowout of Villanova alongside Brunson and DiVincenzo.
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Villanova 2016 national championship
Before 2016, Wright's Villanova teams had a reputation for strong regular seasons but a lack of playoff success. That's why few made the Wildcats their pick despite entering the NCAA Tournament with only five losses.
Once the tournament arrived, however, Villanova's talent and chemistry proved to be the right combination. The Wildcats won by at least 19 points in each of the first three rounds before knocking off No. 1 Kansas to reach their first Final Four since 2009.
Villanova delivered an all-time beatdown in the Final Four, handing Oklahoma a 44-point loss, but the Wildcats' sixth and final win of the tournament required a bit more stress. After Marcus Paige tied a razor-thin national championship game at 74 with a circus shot near the end of regulation, Villanova went the length of the court and won on a 3-pointer from Kris Jenkins that stands in college basketball lore.
Brunson and Bridges were in Wright's rotation in 2016, but Hart was a focal point alongside Jenkins, Ryan Arcidiacono and big man Daniel Ochefu. In hindsight, it's no surprise that team was able to win a title with the luxury of having Brunson as a fifth option and Bridges' defense off the bench.
Two years later, it was Brunson and Bridges' turn to lead the way alongside DiVincenzo, whose 31 points off the bench demoralized Michigan in the championship game and secured an easy victory.
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Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges NBA careers
Jalen Brunson
Brunson didn't get the benefit of the doubt in the NBA Draft despite his greatness at Villanova. He slipped to the second round of the 2018 draft before the Mavericks selected him No. 33 overall, pairing him with fellow draft pick Luka Doncic.
The rebuilding Mavericks gave Brunson a role as a rookie, allowing him to cement himself as part of Rick Carlisle's rotation, and he averaged as many as 16.3 points per game in his final season in Dallas when Jason Kidd inserted him into the starting five.
The Knicks were criticized by some for luring Brunson away with a four-year, $104 million deal in 2022, but he instantly proved doubters wrong by stepping up and becoming a legitimate No. 1 option with 24 points per game in his first season in New York. Now a two-time All-Star, Brunson has led the Knicks to at least one playoff series win in each of his first three seasons with the team.
Josh Hart
Hart was selected with the final pick of the first round in 2017 and quickly became well-traveled. The Lakers included him in their blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis in 2019, and the Pelicans sent him to the Trail Blazers as part of a larger deadline deal in 2022.
Hart's fourth team was the charm, as his trade to the Knicks in 2023 turned out to be a terrific move for both sides. He posted perhaps his best statistical season in 2024-25, averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists with nine triple-doubles.
Mikal Bridges
Bridges' career looked like it would start in his home of Philadelphia before the 76ers traded him to the Suns in a draft night deal that quickly proved to be one-sided. Bridges emerged as a cornerstone in Phoenix, helping push the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 and finishing as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 before he became the centerpiece of the Nets' return for Kevin Durant at the 2023 deadline.
Bridges flashed an improved offensive game in Brooklyn, averaging 21.2 points per game over parts of two seasons, and the Nets traded him to the crosstown Knicks for a haul of first-round picks in 2024.
Bridges is one of the most durable players in the NBA, as he has never missed a game since entering the league.