Knicks’ Mikal Bridges has earned the right to soak in championship parade moment

I think I speak for a sizeable portion of people who follow the Knicks when I say: Mikal Bridges needs to go live on Instagram from Thursday’s parade.

On Tuesday, Bridges spent time celebrating the Knicks title win, sharing jokes and plenty of insight into New York’s season while on Instagram.

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As much as anyone, Bridges has earned the right to soak in this Knicks championship.

For most of his first 20 months with New York, Bridges was scrutinized, criticized, and demonized for his play. He was most closely associated with the phrase “five first-round picks,” which is what New York gave up to acquire him from Brooklyn.

Obviously, most Knicks fans are looking at him through a different lens these days.

Bridges’ play was pivotal in the Knicks’ 2026 playoff run.

He averaged 16 points, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals during New York’s 13-game winning streak. Bridges also played exceptional defense, helping the Knicks establish a net rating of +15.5 when he was on the floor.

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He also was one of a select group of Knicks who hit shots in the Game 5 clincher (14 points, four assists).

After that game, as he was walking off the floor, Bridges greeted a group of fans in the stands who were chanting ‘f–k them picks.’

Bridges was asked about that moment in his postgame news conference. His answer contained some NSFW language.

But it also revealed something important about Bridges’ mindset.

“The times I’ve been struggling, the fans were on me. The thing is about me, I want to always be better,” Bridges said. “So whatever, how they feel, I always want to be better.

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“They keep pushing me and if they strongly believe that we have a chance every year and if they strongly believe I have a chance to be better, I’m already thinking about that. I appreciate the tough love.

“I know some fans might be a little bit crazier than others, but the ones that truly care, and want me to be better, don’t stop now. Just keep pushing me.”

Knowing the scrutiny on this team, Bridges will surely take some criticism if/when he hits a rough patch next season. He welcomes it.

“Just know I’m going to keep working,”…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-mikal-bridges-earned-soak-192212931.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-17 19:22:00

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