flag
back Back
Josh Hart’s NBA Championship Trophy Braids Took 2.5 Hours to Finish
Josh Hart with his new braids
Getty Images; Sandra Finn

The New York Knicks’ 2026 NBA Championship trophy might currently be on display at the American Museum of Natural History, but it still made an appearance at the team’s ring ceremony Tuesday night. Well, sort of. At the NBA tip-off, Knicks guard Josh Hart debuted a new hairstyle that featured his braids intricately fashioned to look like the Larry O’Brien trophy. It might not have helped the champs win the first game of the season against the newly fronted LeBron James Philadelphia 76ers, but it was a crowning achievement in men’s hairstyling.

For four years, Hart has been turning to Sandra Finn to fashion his braids into elaborate designs, from the Yankees logo to an “I <3 NY” design. The two connected when Hart DM’d her on Instagram after admiring the work she’d done. (She’s also braided Houston Rockets player Gerald Green’s hair.) Their first look, she recalls, was the Villanova “V,” the 31-year-old’s alma mater. Now, once or twice a year, Hart will ask the Houston-based hairstylist to do his braids for a special moment—like game 5 of the Knicks’ run during the finals this past summer.

As soon as the Knicks won it all for the 2025-26 season, Finn knew she wanted to do a trophy in Hart’s braids one day. Her desire proved to be “serendipitous,” because Hart asked her late last month if she would do exactly that ahead of the team’s ring ceremony.

Josh Hart with his new braids
Sandra Finn
Josh Hart with his new braids
Sandra Finn

You may like

Five Head Coach Candidates Maryland Should Consider Hiring

si.com 30 minutes ago