Josh Hart's Pregame Meal Is A Dentist's Worst Nightmare

Josh Hart eats a pregame meal that will make dentists everywhere cringe.

The New York Knicks guard chows down on a family-sized Mike & Ike’s and popcorn before games. This isn’t a special treat either, he mows down on this sugary cuisine before every matchup in the 82-game season.

I mean, I like candy and popcorn too (though there are dozens of better candies than Mike & Ike’s out there). But holy cow man, that’s one heck of a sweet tooth!

Josh Hart's (left) irregular pregame meals don't prevent him from playing at a high level. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Hart’s habit began during high school, but faced a big challenge during his college days at Villanova. The guard played for head coach Jay Wright, who always put a healthy emphasis on eating well. As such, he had to get creative on how to eat the treats while not incurring the wrath of his coach.

“I’d dump a box of Mike & Ike in my parka. Because if they ever saw me with it, they’d make me throw it out,” Hart said. “So I had to sneak it and hide it. Like I was like a little fat kid.”

He doesn’t always stick to strictly Mike & Ike’s. Before Wednesday’s matchup against Utah, he placed an Uber Eats order and added Air Heads to his menu, which is obviously a nutritional upgrade.

“I just threw those in the order, said f–k it,” Hart said. “Just a little other addition to see how it vibes.”

Josh Hart Has Paid The Price For His Diet In The Past

Hart for now can get away with it, since he’s in excellent physical shape. However, his pregame ritual has caused him some pain in the past. 

In the summer of 2020 (when he played for the Pelicans), Hart got a root canal. Dentists advised Hart that he should avoid eating candy for a while.

But the guard ignored that advice fairly quickly. And he paid quite a steep price for it.

Is Josh Hart thinking it's time for some Mike & Ike's? (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

“It was an exhibition, a ramp-up game, and I wasn’t playing,” Hart said. “So I was on the sideline. And I started eating Mike & Ike’s. And I ripped the crown out. So I was screwed. For like the duration of the bubble, I had an open tooth.”

Wow, my gums hurt just thinking about that.

Hart also landed a four-year, $81 million contract extension in the offseason. For most people, that would get them a lifetime supply of candy.

But for Hart, that might only be enough to last him the four years in New York. Hopefully his teeth don’t completely rot away by then.