Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

The ‘Nova Knicks ‘can be forgiven for their sins’ thanks to the new ‘Nova Pope

Jalen Brunson said it was ‘real cool,’ but he’s focused on facing the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The current 'Nova Knicks — from left, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges — celebrate their Game 1 win over the Celtics.
The current 'Nova Knicks — from left, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges — celebrate their Game 1 win over the Celtics.Read moreCharles Krupa / AP

NEW YORK — The Knicks certainly didn’t appear to receive any divine assistance Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

The team may have newly selected Pope Leo XIV on its side, thanks to their shared Villanova roots, but the Celtics still blew them out of the Garden, 115-93. The Knicks’ late-game heroics from Games 1 and 2 didn’t manifest, as the Celtics managed to make this early 20-point lead stick.

So it turns out Pope Leo XIV may not yet have the power to single-handedly propel the Knicks to victory, as their fans might have liked, but the news about the new pope was still met with excitement in the Villanova basketball alumni group chat.

“Did you see it guys? ‘Nova pride!” Jay Wright wrote, according to Timberwolves forward Donte DiVincenzo, a former ‘Nova Knick who came in Thursday after the conclave, excited about the new pope from Villanova.

“I’m having a great day,” DiVincenzo told ESPN, flashing the Villanova V in the locker room.

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, also a Villanova grad from Chicago, just like Leo, had a more muted reaction.

“Real cool,” Brunson told reporters. “I’m just happy that we’re getting noticed for being a good school.”

» READ MORE: The new pope went to Villanova, and sports fans — even Jay Wright — have some thoughts

The Rev. Robert P. Hagan, team chaplain for Villanova basketball and a close friend of new pope Robert Prevost, told The Athletic the two talked frequently about Villanova basketball and the school’s new generation of NBA stars.

“We’ve had a lot of fun watching the Knicks because [of] Jalen and Josh [Hart], and Donte was there and now Mikal [Bridges] is there,” Hagan said. “I think that Pope Leo will still keep an eye on the ‘Nova Knicks. I think he’ll still keep an eye on the Wildcats, and I think he’ll be very proud of not just who they are but the way that they play with a certain spirit and unselfishness.”

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t a Villanova grad himself. He wasn’t quite sure whether the new pope would be able to help out the Knicks on the court, but he did joke that the new guy in charge might be able to help the ‘Nova Knicks outside of just basketball.

“Yeah, now they can be forgiven for their sins,” Thibodeau quipped.

» READ MORE: NBA draft lottery: How to watch, the Sixers’ odds, and how they can lose their first-round pick

But ultimately, the Knicks, still up two games to one ahead of Monday’s Game 4 at the Garden, have something else on their minds — the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“It’s really cool for [Pope Leo] and I’m happy for him,” Brunson said. “But I’m a little focused right now.”