In two years with the New York Knicks, forward Josh Hart has won adoration from fans for his hard-nosed play and voluminous rebounding despite his relatively short stature.
However, many may not know that Hart is related by blood to a city sports icon that predated him by 60 years. Hart is the grandnephew of former New York Yankees catcher, first baseman and left fielder Elston Howard—the Yankees' first Black player.
On Tuesday, Hart dropped by Yankee Stadium before New York's game against the Baltimore Orioles. While he was there, the Yankees gifted him a No. 32 jersey in Howard's honor.
The Yankees gifted Josh Hart a number 32 jersey in honor of his great uncle Elston Howard who was the first Black player on the Yankees
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 24, 2024
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/IQWLNTAmTl
Howard played 15 major league seasons—13 with New York, two with the Boston Red Sox, and one with the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs. He was a 12-time All-Star, the 1963 American League MVP, a four-time world champion, and a two-time Gold Glove winner.
The St. Louis native died in 1980 of myocarditis, a rare heart condition; he was 51 and had ended his coaching career just a year earlier. However, his legacy lives on in Hart.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees Present Josh Hart With Jersey to Honor Trailblazing Relative Elston Howard.
