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New York Knicks guard Josh Hart has long been a big-time candy fanatic. On Wednesday, the 28-year-old revealed some of his candy stash ahead of the Knicks’ matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
While most players typically eat healthy pregame snacks, Hart has a drawer full of 43 packs of Mike and Ike candies, worth an estimated $336.
The Knicks guard shared a clip of his stash on his Instagram stories on Wednesday, asking which flavor he should eat pregame.
“Let’s see, which flavor for today’s game?” Hart captioned his story.
According to Hart, he has been a fan of Mike and Ikes dating back to high school. He also regularly consumed the candies during his four-year college career at Villanova (2013 to 2017). However, back then, he had to sneak the candies into games to avoid having them confiscated by the team.
“I’d dump a box of Mike and Ikes in my parka because if they ever saw me with it, they’d make me throw it out,” Hart told the New York Post. “So, I had to sneak it and hide it, like I was like a little fat kid.”
Hart even brought a box of Mike and Ikes to his postgame press conference following a playoff game last season. The stunt led Hart to receive 10 boxes of free candy with a personalized letter from the company.
Fortunately for Hart and the Knicks, his candy habit doesn’t appear to be hindering his play. He has still played a valuable role as a two-way player off the bench this season. Through 33 games, he is averaging 7.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 3-pointers per game on 45.6% shooting.
Additionally, Hart signed a four-year, $80.92 million contract extension with New York in August, locking him under contract until the end of 2028. So, he has more than enough funds to keep up with his candy stash over the coming seasons.
Josh Hart says pregame candy ritual has caused him cavities
While Josh Hart can afford to keep up with his pregame candy ritual, his teeth may be paying the price. According to the Knicks guard, the habit has led him to require extensive dental work. This includes him needing a root canal during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA bubble (2020).
“Before you ask, yes, I’ve had cavities, I’ve had root canals,” Hart told the New York Post.
“I ripped the crown out. So I was screwed. For like the duration of the bubble, I had an open tooth.”
However, despite his cavities and root canals, it doesn’t appear that Hart will give up eating candy anytime soon.
Also Read: "Stupid s**t": Josh Hart dunks on Becky Hammon's 'too small' remarks on Jalen Brunson
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