On Thursday night, a semi-heated exchange between Phoenix Suns rookie Mikal Bridges and team head coach Igor Kokoskov was caught on tape, as the former appeared to try and brush off his coach following being subbed out for a bad foul. Unfortunately, the clip went viral, and to most, it seemed like trouble was brewing within the Suns' camp.
As it turns out, Bridges eventually realized his mistake and apologized to his coach for his disrespectful behavior:
After his exchange with Igor Kokoskov spread on the Interwebs last night, Mikal Bridges said he apologized to his coach on the flight back from Portland: "All he was trying to do was just get my attention. I was kind of beating up on myself, and I was being disrespectful." #Suns
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) December 8, 2018
Bridges went on to say that he and Kokoskov have moved past the untoward incident, and that there is absolutely no ill will between the two of them:
More Bridges: "I know how I was raised. My mom was even beating me up (about) it…we're good now. We talked about it, and saw each other today like it really didn't even happen." Important to note that Bridges has constantly been praised for his maturity as a rookie. #Suns https://t.co/o57BQWBD7X
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) December 8, 2018
As noted by Suns beat reporter Gina Mizell, Bridges' maturity level is considered by many as beyond his years. While he may only be playing in his first season in the league, the mindset that he has reportedly exceeds that of a typical rookie.
In this regard, we can probably chalk this as a one-off brought about by pure frustration. The Suns have the worst record in the NBA today, and despite the low expectations on the team, losing — by huge margins half the time — night in and night out will still unquestionably take its toll.
The fact that he was able to swallow his pride and approach his coach to apologize shortly after the incident is a testament to Mikal Bridges' maturity. He may still need some work on his game, but having this type of attitude will surely go along way for the 22-year-old.
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