The anticipated release of NBA 2K25 continues to have basketball video game enthusiasts on the edge of their seats. Brooklyn Nets fans got a questionable taste of their team's player ratings when Nic Claxton got snubbed in one of 2K's first releases on Aug. 19. One former Nets starter also received an intriguing rating in the next round of releases. The player up for examination is New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges.
On Tuesday, 2K revealed ratings for the top 50-71 players, which Bridges happened to be a part of. Bridges earned an overall of 84, as seen on 2K's X (formerly Twitter) account:
Let's keep the #NBA2KTop100 going with 20 more players 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qsQbhIFy7y
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 20, 2024
Bridges was joined by fellow Knicks and former Villanova teammate Josh Hart, who was 70th on the list and earned an 82 overall rating. At the top of the list was Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who earned an 85 overall.
Mikal Bridges' NBA 2K25 rating is fitting, as his final rating in 2K24 was an 83. Bridges had some great moments during his short time in Brooklyn. He was regarded as the team's leader on both ends of the floor and saw tremendous growth.
Looking back on Mikal Bridges' tenure with the Nets
Bridges joined the Nets in February of 2023 when the team acquired him as part of the blockbuster Kevin Durant-Phoenix Suns trade. The former NCAA champion was amid an offensive ascent. Bridges had upped his scoring averages with the Suns from 14.2 points per game in 2021-22 to 17.3 in 2022-23. Once he got to Brooklyn, he further ascended.
In his first 27 games with the Nets, Bridges averaged a career-best 26.1 points per contest. He followed the stint up by averaging 19.6 points on a 37.2 percent three-point shooting clip during the 2023-24 season. Most fans know about Bridges' prized ability: he has not missed an NBA game since he was drafted in 2018.
The Nets will miss Bridges' production and durability, but parting ways with him gave the team the crucial benefit of allowing other young players to take the reigns. It will be interesting to see how Bridges does as he starts a new era across town with the Knicks.