 Bridges in 2024 | |
| No. 25 – New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 30, 1996 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Great Valley (Malvern, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Villanova (2015–2018) |
| NBA draft | 2018: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2023 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2023–2024 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2024–present | New York Knicks |
Mikal Bridges (born August 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball small forward and shooting guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Bridges in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2018 NBA draft.
Early life and high school career
editBridges was born on August 30, 1996, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] Although he maintained a relationship with his father Jack, Tyneeha Rivers raised Bridges as a single mother.[2] After living in the Overbrook neighborhood and in Southwest Philadelphia as a child, Bridges moved to Malvern, Pennsylvania, when he was in middle school.[3]
Recruiting
editCollege career
edit
- 2015-16
- 2016-17
- 2017-18
Professional career
editDraft
editOn April 10, 2018, Bridges announced that he would forfeit his final season of college basketball eligibility in favor of entering the 2018 NBA Draft.[4] Analysts anticipated that Bridges would be a lottery pick, with mock drafts predicting that he would be taken between ninth and eleventh overall.[5]
Phoenix Suns (2018–2023)
edit- 2018–19
- 2019–20
- 2020–21
Bridges made his postseason debut on May 23, 2021, when the Suns faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.[6]
- 2021–22
Bridges and the Suns entered the 2022 NBA playoffs as the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, and they faced the eighth-seed New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.[7]
- 2022–23
Brooklyn Nets (2023–2024)
editOn February 9, 2023, Bridges and Cameron Johnson were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Kevin Durant and T. J. Warren.[8] The following week, Bridges scored a career-high 45 points in Brooklyn's 116–105 win over the Miami Heat, also contributing eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks.[9]
- 2022–23
- 2023–24
New York Knicks (2024–present)
editOn July 6, 2024, the Nets traded Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and the rights to prospect Juan Pablo Vaulet to the New York Knicks in exchange for Bojan Bogdanović, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, and seven picks in future drafts. The trade, which was the first between the Knicks and Nets since 1983, reunited Bridges with his Villanova classmates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.[10]
Career statistics
editPersonal life
editOutside of basketball, Bridges is a fan of his hometown sports teams, the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League.[11] When the Phillies came to Phoenix on August 30, 2022, Bridges's 26th birthday, the Arizona Diamondbacks declared "Mikal Bridges Appreciation Day" at Chase Field.[12] In the National Football League, Bridges supports the Los Angeles Rams over the Philadelphia Eagles.[13]
Bridges is second cousins with fellow professional basketball player Tyrone Garland, which he did not learn until he was in high school.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Mikal Bridges | Phoenix Suns". National Basketball Association. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ Berman, Marc (June 18, 2018). "How Mikal Bridges' mom raised the Knicks' ideal draft pick". New York Post. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Jensen, Mike (March 28, 2018). "Villanova's Mikal Bridges, La Salle hero Tyrone Garland share a bond beyond March Madness". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian (April 10, 2018). "Nova's Mikal Bridges to bypass final season, enter NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Juliano, Joe (April 10, 2018). "Villanova's Mikal Bridges officially enters NBA Draft, likely headed for lottery". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Suns win in return to playoffs, beating Lakers 99–90". ESPN. Associated Press. May 23, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ Rohrbach, Ben (April 16, 2022). "2022 NBA first-round playoff previews: (1) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets Acquire Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Draft Compensation in Four-team Trade". National Basketball Association. February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Cluff, Jeremy (February 16, 2023). "Did Phoenix Suns hold Mikal Bridges back? ESPN analyst slammed for Brooklyn Nets take". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets for haul of picks, Bojan Bogdanovic". National Basketball Association. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ Olson, Kellan (June 10, 2022). "Mikal Bridges has made another wager, this time with Diamondbacks". Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ "The story behind why the Arizona Diamondbacks are celebrating 'Mikal Bridges Appreciation Day'". ESPN. August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ "Mikal Bridges is Locked-In for the Big Game on Sunday". National Basketball Association. February 3, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2022.