Mikal Bridges says he thought Knicks would draft him in 2018: ‘I was like, OK, I’m about to go play at MSG’

At his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Mikal Bridges told reporters it was “surreal” to reunite with his college teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo on the New York Knicks. Leading up to the blockbuster trade between the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, Bridges did not think such a deal would actually happen, he said. 

He did, however, imagine himself in a Knicks uniform earlier in his career.

“I thought I was going to be here in 2018,” Bridges said.

New York had the No. 9 pick in that draft, and Bridges worked out for the team. There was speculation that he could land up there, and he called it a “second home” during a pre-draft media session. Four years later, in an appearance on the “Run Your Race” podcast, Bridges said he “wanted to be in New York” and thought it was going to happen.

On Tuesday, Bridges said he thought he’d either be taken by the Knicks or the Philadelphia 76ers, but, since Philadelphia was picking 10th, New York had the first shot.

“I was at the draft and I was like, ‘OK, I’m about to go play at MSG,'” he said. “It’s that time. I love it there.”

In the green room at Barclays Center, Bridges waited to hear his name called. Instead, with the ninth pick, the Knicks selected Kevin Knox.

“I really thought I was going,” he said. “You kind of know when you’re at the green room at the draft, you kind of know when the cameras are following you or your agents might get the call a little bit before. And they were up, and I just looked at them and they were like — they kind of just shook their head. And I was like, ‘OK.'”

The Sixers selected Bridges 10th, but then traded him to the Phoenix Suns. In the years since then, Bridges has made New York and Philadelphia — and several teams that picked in front of them — regret passing on him. And now that he’s finally going to play for the Knicks at MSG, Bridges said he’s excited to “see my guy Spike courtside.” After six seasons in the league, the soon-to-be 28-year-old wing is pleased with how things have worked out.

“I love everything…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mikal-bridges-says-he-thought-knicks-would-draft-him-in-2018-i-was-like-ok-im-about-to-go-play-at-msg/

Author : James Herbert

Publish date : 2024-07-09 17:17:13

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