Here's a rom-com plot twist: Shannon Hart almost slept on Josh Hart—literally, because he was the one constantly dozing off.
When the future Knicks guard transferred to Washington, D.C.'s exclusive Sidwell Friends School (alma mater of Chelsea Clinton and both Obama daughters), he wasn't exactly making an impression. "Everyone was like, 'Who is this kid?'" Shannon said in a New York Times profile last October, per E! Online. "He would show up to class 30 minutes late, walk into the classroom, take off his backpack, lean back and close his eyes and go to sleep in front of the teacher—like the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen."
But the 6-foot-5 athlete had charm. About a year after meeting, Shannon texted Josh to ask if he liked her, liked her. Their first date was November 11, 2011, at the school café, the Fox Den. "He was sitting there so nervous," she recalled, "like trembling." Josh joked he was "nervous I had to cut off the rest of the roster."
College brought breakups as Josh led Villanova to a 2016 NCAA title while Shannon played soccer at Rutgers and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "We won't lie, during college we had breakups," the registered nurse admitted. "We were on and off."
After Josh's 2017 NBA draft selection, Shannon followed him across the country. He was later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, where she found a job in orthopedic and sports medicine. Josh publicly celebrated her Master's degree graduation from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in December 2019.
On June 13, Shannon and their 3-year-old twins, Hendrix and Haze, watched Josh and the Knicks claim the franchise's first NBA title in 53 years. The sleepy prep school kid was now a champion.
