Early life and high school career edit
Bridges 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 edit
College career edit
- 2015-16
- 2016-17
- 2017-18
Professional career edit
Draft edit
On 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–present) edit
On 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
Career statistics edit
Personal life edit
Outside 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.[10] 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.[11] In the National Football League, Bridges supports the Los Angeles Rams over the Philadelphia Eagles.[12]
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.
- ^ 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.