Josh Hart rules out finger surgery: “I'll play like this until I retire”

Josh Hart rules out surgery that would end his career

Josh Hart will not undergo the surgery previously expected to fix the injury to his right ring finger. The New York Knicks guard said Thursday that he plans to play through the pain for the rest of his career after learning that the required procedure would involve a full joint replacement.

“You can’t have the banging, repetitive (motion). Grabbing a rebound, palming it, shooting, catching the ball, doing all that: You can’t do that. So, if I did a joint replacement, then I wouldn’t be able to play,” Hart said after a team practice.

The 31-year-old, who is coming off an NBA championship, has no plans to retire. Instead, he will continue protecting the injured finger with a splint or tape, just as he did throughout the 2025-26 season.

An injury dating back to the 2025 Eastern Conference finals

Hart suffered the injury during the 2025 Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. He underwent surgery during the offseason following the series but aggravated the finger during a summer inter-squad scrimmage while defending Knicks teammate Mikal Bridges.

At the beginning of the 2025-26 season, Hart explained that the plan was to play the entire campaign wearing protective gear before undergoing a second procedure during the following offseason.

However, doctors gave him different news this summer. A full joint replacement was necessary to fix the problem, but the procedure would prevent him from continuing his professional basketball career.

“I guess it’s either wrap it till I retire (or) cut it off,” Hart said. “I guess that’s the other option. So that’s really the only alternative: either joint replacement, let it go, or amputation.”

Pain and nerve issues in his right hand

Hart’s right ring finger is visibly deformed, with the bones pointing in different directions. Knicks head coach Mike Brown even joked about its appearance.

“Josh, he’s a handsome man,” Brown said. “But that finger is uggglyyy.”

The injury has also caused significant discomfort. It affected a nerve, and Hart said that during last season there were occasions when his hand went numb while playing.

“Some days, it’ll be good. Some days it’ll hurt to catch the ball,” Hart said. “It varies. I wish I could tell you when I wake up, what’s gonna be good, what’s gonna be bad. Some days it’s good, like a regular functioning finger; and other days, it hurts to just close my hand, to make a fist.”

Hart added that he will probably undergo the joint replacement once he retires, hopefully allowing him to straighten the finger.

Career-best shooting numbers despite the injury

Despite the ongoing problem, Hart produced the best shooting season of his career in 2025-26. He made a career-high 41% of his three-point attempts during the regular season.

His effective field-goal percentage, which accounts for the additional value of three-pointers compared with two-pointers, was also the highest of his career.

All of this came while the finger injury continued to deteriorate, according to Hart.

“The joint and the bone and everything,” he said. “That’s what it will be. So I’ll do (the joint replacement) probably when I retire. Hopefully I can make (my finger) straight. It’s a little off-center if y’all didn’t realize. So I’m hoping after that joint replacement, it can get a little straighter.”