One Piece fans floored by the reference to Josh Hart's injury in Knicks vs Celtics

One Piece and the NBA have shared a fan base for quite some time, with the numerous official collaborations between these two entities only making their shared fan base more noticeable.

While both shared mentions mainly pertain to mutual appreciation for each other, along with official merchandise, Josh Hart's injury in the recent Eastern Conference semi-finals ended up bringing both fandoms together in appreciation of the mettle showcased by the player despite suffering a facial injury.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece fans immortalize Josh Hart by referencing one of the series' most iconic moments

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The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics had been engaged in the Conference semi-final round since May 6, 2025. The Knicks finalized their win in game six with a score of 119-81. Knicks forward Josh Hart's facial injury occurred in the first quarter of game five. The injury, borne out of Kornet and Josh's collision, opened a wound right above Josh's left eye, drawing blood for the first time in the match.

During the match, many fans took note that Josh Hart did not shy away due to his injury and simply continued the match after cleanup.

Many fans of One Piece and basketball alike used the opportunity to draw parallels between Josh and Zoro's famous "nothing happened" moment from the Thriller Bark arc. Fans noted how Josh's mettle closely resembled Zoro's resolve and insane tolerance to physical stresses in favour of aiding their respective teams.

Fan reactions to Josh Hart's injury

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Artist Jay Kim immortalized Josh Hart's efforts by illustrating him in the likeness of Zoro as a display of Josh's own determination. Many fans took notice of the illustration and used the opportunity to voice their positive opinion and appreciation for Josh Hart, while simultaneously commending his durability.

"Josh Hart will always be on my DAWG list. Bro is a beast," one fan chimed in.

"I'm a Celtics fan and even i gotta admit this s**t hard as hell 😆," one fan said.

Few fans mentioned how the official and unofficial collaborations between anime and basketball have landed really well, especially given One Piece's past collaborations with the NBA. Many fans even went on to ask for merchandise made out of the Josh Hart X Zoro illustration, further exemplifying the fans' appreciation for the event.

"PUT IT ON A SHIRTTTTTTT," another fan said.

"Yall been snapping with the anime and basketball crossovers," one fan mentioned.

The One Piece manga is currently on the Elbaph arc, depicting a full-scale invasion of Elbaph by the World Government's Holy Knights. Given that the situation is expected to spiral into a full-scale war between the Straw Hats, the Giants, and the Holy Knights, many moments similar to Zoro's Thriller Bark moment may end up appearing.

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About the author

Anupam is an anime and manga writer at Sportskeeda. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Logistics & Transportation, Anupam has simultaneously gained professional experience of almost 2 years as a content writer, having worked previously for Otakukart and Sportslumo.

Being part of the anime fandom for over a decade, Anupam believes his greatest strength lies in theorycrafting around animanga series and predicting their plots. His personal experiences have guaranteed him detailed knowledge about the reputation, reception, and plot points of several anime, which he combines with extensive research to report on a topic. They have also taught him the significance of respecting and accurately reporting on community sentiments attached to a particular series, which has now become a non-negotiable part of his writing process.

Anupam’s favorite artist is video game designer Hideo Kojima, whose ability to nonchalantly embed deep messages in his games he deeply admires. When not debating fresh anime theories, Anupam can be found reading or playing combat games.

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Edited by Tiasha