New York Knicks Stars Grace Cover of Slam

With apologies to Ross and Rachel, a new group of "Friends" rules New York City now.

The latest issue of Slam magazine, the long-running basketball publication, placed New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart on its cover in anticipation of the upcoming NBA Playoffs. Manhattan's finest appear in a photo shoot donned in their "City" edition uniforms that harkens back to the team's turn-of-the-century attire.

The cover story, penned by Slam's Max Resetar, focuses on the trio's lasting friendship, which began during their shared tenure at Villanova University.

"We regret to inform you that most NBA players don’t kick it with each other outside of practice, even if they make it seem so when they’re in public," Resetar wrote in the profile. "That’s why the genuine laughter of this trio, all three of them former Villanova Wildcats, was a much-welcomed surprise. They seem to be friends off the court. There’s a ton of history between them, which we will get into. But you just never know what’s for the internet and what’s for real."

Resetar wrote of the trio's ability to crack jokes and poke fun at each other, but what the group has accomplished this season is no laughing matter: under their watch, established in the midst of numerous trades and injuries, the Knicks have already matched last season's win total and appear to be one of the most formidable challenges to the Boston Celtics' apparent monopoly on the Eastern Conference.

Little more needs to be said about Brunson's impact, as he continues to fulfill and exceed every expectation a four-year, $104 million contract placed upon him in the summer of 2022. But late arrivals DiVincenzo and Hart have made themselves equally indispensable to the cause.

DiVincenzo joined the Knicks on a four-year deal over the offseason and already made Knicks history by becoming the franchise's single-season leader in successful three-pointers (273 and counting) while Hart has impressed since stepping into the starting five for injured All-Star Julius Randle. Hart was a trade deadline arrival in the midst of last year and the Knicks locked him up for each of the next five seasons.

Metropolitan fame hasn't done anything to alter the trio's friendship, however, and it played up to humorous light as they gathered for Slam's shoot.

"Playing alongside friends is a treat. Winning alongside friends is a special privilege from the basketball heavens," Resetar said. "So, of course these guys are actually friends. Their bond began in college, where young minds are shaped and formed without nationally-televised basketball games. Add in the games on TV, the thousands of screaming fans, the legacy of a Hall of Fame coach and that would’ve made for a deeper bond together."

"Now fast forward a few years and add the layer of Madison Square Garden, the generations-deep Knicks fandom, and the pressure of possibly playing in May or June…that’s a lifelong bond."

Order the trio's Slam issue here.