Hart Shows Talent On and Off the Court
By Hayden Chambless
Published in the most recent edition of the Lakers Magazine is a story titled “Scout’s Honor”; it is a feature story written by freelance writer Doug Ward about the Laker’s rookie Josh Hart. The article starts off by talking about Hart’s brains. He attended the prestigious Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, earned a degree from Villanova and was awarded Eagle Scout status, all of which are very impressive feats.
The article then turns the focus to his on-court accomplishments. Ward starts off by talking about Hart’s involvement in the NCAA final two years ago while at Villanova. During this intense game, Hart’s teammate buried a 22-foot buzzer beater to win Villanova a national title against North Carolina 77–74. Although he cherishes the memory of the crazy game, the 22 year old wants to focus on the future not the past.
After reaching the peak of college basketball, Hart continued to excel in the sport. The article describes him as a hard worker who plays tough defense. In his last season at Villanova, he was named both Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year for the Big East Conference. In June, he was a first round NBA draft pick for Utah and later traded to the Lakers for Tony Bradley. According to Hart, he knew he was destined to play for Los Angeles, and the Lakers were happy to have him. General Manager Rob Pelinka described Hart as a player that “finds ways to make winning plays” and said that he was on their radar from the start.
I enjoyed reading this article about Josh Hart because it gave a little background information on the highlights of his college career. It also contained excellent quotes from the player himself about his view on his past accomplishments and his future in basketball. From reading this piece, I feel that I maybe know and understand Hart a little more on a personal level. Because I have read this article, I think that I will be able to appreciate watching him play more knowing that he isn’t just another athlete on the court but that he is a intelligent man with history and an opinion.
One thing I do wish the profile had expanded on was his life outside of basketball. I wished it would have spent more time talking about his academic achievements and other accomplishments that make him who he is today.
