The New York Knicks' trio of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges—dubbed the 'NovaKnicks'—are closing in on a rare feat. These three teammates captured a Villanova NCAA championship in 2016, with Brunson and Bridges adding another title in 2018. Their reunion in New York happened gradually: Brunson signed in 2022, Hart arrived via trade in February 2023, and Bridges joined after the 2024 season.

Now competing in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks have already made history as just the second team to start three players from the same college in a Finals game. That distinction previously belonged only to the 1948-49 Minneapolis Lakers trio of DePaul graduates. But an even more exclusive milestone awaits: becoming the fifth pair of teammates to win championships at both levels.

Only four duos have achieved this dual-championship feat. Bill Russell and K.C. Jones won back-to-back NCAA titles at San Francisco before capturing eight consecutive NBA championships together with the Celtics. Other notable pairs include Derek Anderson and Antoine Walker (Kentucky, Miami Heat), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lucius Allen (UCLA, Bucks), and John Havlicek and Larry Siegfried (Ohio State, Celtics).

The NovaKnicks' potential place among these legends underscores how deep their bond runs. If they close out the Spurs, they'll join a club that represents basketball's ultimate measure of sustained excellence across two distinct eras.