What Happens When Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, And Amar'e Stoudemire Meet Up? Knicks Talk, Of Course

Any time two generations of a storied franchise get to cross paths, interesting conversations take place. For die-hards of the New York Knicks, it was a treat to watch A’mare Stoudemire pay a visit to the laid-back, oftentimes hilarious set of the “Roommates Podcast.”

With Stoudemire, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart in the same room, what’s to expect? None other than spirited discourse on the team whose glorious history they share.

History, of course, could have taken different twists and turns inside Madison Square Garden. Interestingly, the Knicks trifecta confronted this question on the latest episode of “Roommates”: If they could change one thing in their team’s history, what would it be?

Stoudemire, the Hall of Fame-bound big man who played for the Knicks from 2010 to 2015, gave a heartfelt response. “I would change the fact that I had to battle some injuries in the second half of my Knicks career,” STAT said. “If I could change that and be in my prime, me and Melo [Anthony] would have definitely gotten a chip.”

Though Stoudemire logged two conference final appearances when he was tearing it up with the Phoenix Suns, he got no further than the first round of the playoffs with the Knicks in 2010s. The New York squad bannered by Stoudemire and Anthony was much-hyped, but ultimately, they fizzled out multiple times in the postseason.

Hart’s biggest regret is also a playoff moment, and it’s a fresh wound at that. “I wish Tyrese [Haliburton’s] shot didn’t go in,” he said. Brunson agreed that it was hurtful, as the Indiana Pacers’ main man embarrassed the Knicks in MSG, hitting a clutch jumper to send Game 1 of last year’s ECF into overtime and setting the tone for the Pacers’ eventual conquest.

As for the current Knicks captain, he decided to go historic while also staying close to home. “I wish Pat [Ewing] didn’t finger roll it,” Brunson said. “Or I wish they’d won the ‘99 Finals and my dad had a ring.”

In the 1995 Eastern Conference semis, Ewing had a chance to send Game 7 of the Knicks-Pacers series into overtime. However, he missed on a last-second finger roll attempt and the Pacers ended up winning 97-95. That was painful, and four years later (with Jalen’s dad Rick Brunson on the team), Ewing would experience the heartbreak of defeat again when his Knicks squad fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 championship series.

Generations of Knicks fans have endured some agonizing lowlights in their respective eras, but the Knicks of 2026 have a chance to slay the demons of the past and get back to the Finals once again. When that happens, the “Roommates Podcast” will have to take a backseat as Brunson and Hart seek to make the likes of Stoudemire proud.