When it comes to NBA records, the positive kind, there aren’t many that don’t have either LeBron James or Michael Jordan there or thereabouts near the top.
Having their company on a list more often than not speaks to an acknowledgment of a world-class skill in a particular field but Mikal Bridges has gone a step further.
The New York Knicks man has achieved something positive that not even LeBron James and Michael Jordan could do.
Moreover, with the direction the NBA is trending in, he could be the last man in a long time to achieve that feat, adding another sparkle to an already insane record.
Arguably the greatest level of dissonance between the current era of NBA players and those from the bygone ones is how famous the word “load management” has become.
From Shannon Sharpe going off on Joel Embiid for the same, to Kawhi Leonard landing in hot water over this issue, it frustrates players and fans alike.
In this era, Mikal Bridges has just managed to become just the sixth player in the entire NBA history to play the first 500 games of his career without missing a single one.
The last player to do that before him was Terry Tyler, who did it between 1978 and 1985 but Bridges’ record is crazier because it contains multiple years of playing under COVID rules.
To make it even more remarkable, Bridges didn’t miss a single game in his three years at Villanova either, appearing in 116 games continuously!
He hasn’t even been playing just for the sake of it either, being a capable contributor for every team he’s played for so far as a three-and-D specialist.
Last season, he expanded his game to achieve career-highs in assists and rebounds while this season, he has kept the streak alive under Tom Thibodeau, a head coach notorious for putting his players through the grinder.
Bridges recently had his breakout game for the Knicks so he just keeps getting with every mile in his leg!
Bridges is unsurprisingly the toast of New York after getting to this record in the Knicks’ 100-91 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The current record for the longest streak is held by AC Green, also the only player to make it to four digits by playing in 1,192 games consecutively.
His teammate Karl-Anthony Towns gave Bridges his flowers after the game, saying his availability is unbelievable, joking that he needs to be “drug tested”.
Towns said: “We got to drug test him. Everyone talks about offensive traits and talents and defensive traits and talents, but the most impactful and the greatest trait you can have is availability and he has it and he’s shown it. Shoutout to him. That’s a huge accomplishment.”
Thibodeau echoed similar sentiments (via Newsday): “In today’s NBA, it’s pretty remarkable. (It’s a) testament to him and the way he takes care of himself and prepares and does all those things. (He’s) really durable, incredible worker, and puts a lot into it. So it doesn’t happen by accident.”
Bridges himself conceded the chase to the top spot, held by AC Green, but if you add his Villanova games to this record, he’s shown that he’s pretty much halfway there!
Related Posts
