Mikal Bridges believes Nets fans have accepted him not only because of his performance on the court, but also because he brought a culture change after years of drama involving Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant. In an interview with The Pivot podcast, hosted by former NFL players Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark, Bridges talks about the situation he entered when he was traded from Phoenix to Brooklyn in February (hat tip to Nets Daily).
“I think Brooklyn some had a lot going on. They had Kyrie, Harden and KD and then all that happening … and like Kyrie and stuff,” Bridges said. “I think (fans) were ready for a refresh, and I’m like the total opposite of them dudes. I’m just like, the quietest, chillest. I ain’t trippin’ off nothin’, so I’ll just (be) this happy all the time. So I was just like, I knew I was gonna be fine for sure.”
Bridges said he was thrilled that the trade gave him a chance to play in the New York City spotlight. He adds that the deal didn’t catch him off guard because he knew Phoenix was among Durant’s preferred destinations when he made his first trade request last June.
“Me, I always love New York,” Bridges said. “So when even when the whole situation happened in the summer when KD asked for a trade he wanted to come here. Me and Cam Johnson knew, ‘Well, obviously we’re going to be a part of that.’ Like we just knew KD wants to come here. We’re gonna so just make jokes like, ‘Oh, we’re going to Brooklyn’ but like, I love New York. I thought I was gonna get drafted No. 9 by the Knicks and I was prepared to not live in the city but I was prepared to be in the city. I was very excited about living in New York.”
Bridges touches on a few more topics during the podcast, including:
How he’s been able to improve his game throughout his five years in the NBA:
“Everybody will ask me like, well, like, ‘what’s the secret? How you get better?’ I’m like, ‘It’s just work out.’ I just work out every day, I just work out. I mean, I don’t kill myself, but I work out and I just get better. I think there’s no secret to it. I just, just work out and work on my game and try to get stronger and just keep trying to go up and I think that’s the easiest thing.”
How he was able to avoid the gun culture that has derailed Ja Morant‘s career:
“My mom don’t play none of that. If I bring somebody around my mom, she would be, ‘Nah.’ That’s just how it is. Like people are scared of my mom like she don’t play, know that, and as I got older now it’s funny because I feel like I’ll tell her all the time, ‘I’m really becoming you,’ ’cause she’s human resources, like she has to fire people all the time. She has to be that boss lady.”
His expectations for next season as the Nets’ new leader:
“I just think coming into the preseason to the team we’ll have– obviously, it might be a little bit different when the time comes, you never know, we got free agents and stuff like that. Just be the leader and come in and just know like, all I care about is winning. If I’m still one of the main guys trying to do everything, it ain’t about me.”
Brooklyn Bridges ……
It’s a team game. He’s all about it.
Nets can use another big. Be nice if you can count on Ben.
Type of guy you root for
Brooklyn took Phoenix to the cleaners on the KD trade. He’s too old to new that crazy return
I hate thag this dude isn’t a Sixer.
How was smith and that pick
Brooklyn also likes him because they like the word like, like alot. Like the other day he was like, hey, and I was like hey back. Like he said it kinda like, honest, but we was both like whatever. It was kinda like a like contest because like, it was like that. Can I start a sentence with like? Because like I like to do that. Like I did that, like just then.
The quote must have had 100 instances of like
I like that. Like, I really do.
I always check the comments but I was hoping someone else thought his comments were funny. Like I read as if it was me listening to a homie sitting on the steps of some brownstone in Brooklyn. Exxxxactly how they talk, “like you know what I’m saying’ son”?
But like, I do appreciate the shout out to his mom in all of this. I like the fact that “she don’t play” and have to think the world would be a better place if there were more moms—and dads—like her
He was nervous. This ain’t Arizona
Don’t get why they had to print it word for word. Must be a KD fan.
Like, I just wonder why the lessons never stuck with Miles.
Like, momma Bridges don’t sound like the kind of lady who would raise a woman beater. Yet, there he is….smacking around his woman in front of their kids.
You know Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges aren’t brothers, right? I can’t tell if you’re joking or not lol
There is never an instance where you should begin a sentence with “like,”
Lol. Too bad momma Bridges didn’t raise Miles too. Maybe he’d of known better.
Two different people. Unrelated.