New Orleans Pelicans: Drinking Wine with Josh Hart

Josh Hart of the New Orleans Pelicans can tell you how to defend LeBron or what cheese to pair with a good Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Josh Hart, little did they know they were getting a modern Renaissance man.

Josh Hart knows about the finer things in life. His passion for the art of video gaming and the nuances of keyboard adjustment have been well documented. Here he is gently practicing his delicate craft. (WARNING: NSFW):

Josh Hart is well known in the gaming community, but few are aware that he is also a budding wine aficionado.

Hart will show off his wine tasting knowledge on The Masters with Justin, a show that invites “masters” of their craft to sit down and tip a glass with noted wine expert Justin Baldwin.

The two will discuss various wines, tasting notes and food pairings and I for one was happy to see a wine featured that goes well with a Philly cheesesteak, a pairing I can get behind.

Josh Hart is no stranger to the wine game, as he has a “pimped out” wine cellar that he likes to show off.

It might seem strange for a 25-year-old baller like Josh Hart to be into wine. The only wines I knew at his age came in either a box or a two gallon jug.

But wine is all the rage in the NBA, with players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade leading the league in “most expensive wine nights.”

This may seem like a fad for guys with a lot of money, but Josh Hart isn’t playing around. He actually knows what he is talking about and it will be interesting to see him sit down to discuss his passion with an expert.

The New Orleans Pelicans obviously hope that Josh Hart isn’t drinking too much wine during the hiatus, but a moderate amount is good for stress and the heart, so maybe Hart is onto something.

Josh Hart will be doing a Q&A during the show and one interesting question would be how he and other NBA players are able to work wine into what must be a fairly strict diet.

I’ll avoid asking the question I really want to know, which is “Box or Jug?”

Josh Hart is out there breaking stereotypes that people might have about young athletes, and is doing it with his signature grace and class. Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up smashing any wine bottles like that poor keyboard.