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The New York Knicks invested a huge haul of draft picks in Mikal Bridges, essentially labeling him as an X-factor who could help the franchise win their first championship since 1973. Although he struggled to find a consistent form in his first season with the team, the two-way wing was instrumental in the Knickerbockers' Eastern Conference Semifinals victory over the then-reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. The organization remains confident that he can do his part to secure a parade for the city.
Bridges signed a four-year, $150 million contract extension last week, solidifying himself as a key part of New York's future. The 28-year-old shared a simple message a few days after the huge news broke. “I love it here,” he posted on Instagram.
Bridges has accomplished plenty in the Northeast during his young life. The Pennsylvania native won two national titles with the Villanova Wildcats and gained valuable experience as a No. 1 option while playing one and a half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, but he is determined to reach the summit of his basketball career with the Knicks.
Despite the overwhelming pressure that comes from competing in front of this intensely passionate fan base, Bridges is grateful to call Madison Square Garden his home. The fact that he gets to share the court with two of his college teammates — star point Jalen Brunson and glue-guy Josh Hart — makes this experience even sweeter. Now, the squad has to harness the feel-good vibes into a Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The Knicks and their fans are counting on No. 25 to level up
How Bridges performs could determine how far New York goes during the 2025-26 NBA campaign. He was efficient enough versus the Indiana Pacers the Eastern Conference Finals, but the team needed him to do a little more on both offense and defense. Fans demand more as well. Fair or not, “five first-rounders” will define his tenure in the Big Apple until he boosts the Knicks to the next level. This new contract will only magnify the scrutiny.
Nevertheless, Bridges still enjoyed an overall productive 2024-25 season. He suited up for all 82 games, reinforcing his role as one of the league's foremost workhorses, and averaged 17.6 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent shooting from 3-point land. If the 2022 All-Defensive First-Team selection can recapture the long-range potency he displayed with both the Phoenix Suns and Nets, then he should have no trouble romancing MSG in the years to come.
The Knicks will enter the next campaign as one of the two clear favorites to win the East (along with the Cleveland Cavaliers), so it is crucial that this group strengthens its on-court chemistry and bench play under new head coach Mike Brown. Ultimately, though, as is always the case, the burden falls on the men in uniform to complete the mission.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the stars and OG Anunoby is the squad's most versatile defender, but one cannot discount Mikal Bridges' significance. This franchise is banking on him to help spark the best era of Knicks basketball in over half a century.
