The Brooklyn Nets shook up the borough during the summer of 2024 when they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. Brooklyn initially acquired Bridges as a major piece of the Kevin Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns in February of 2023. The former NBA All-Defensive player was once seen as a building block with the Nets, but he now turns his focus across the bridge.
Shortly after news dropped of Bridges' trade to the Knicks, he released a heartfelt social media post detailing his gratitude for his time in Brooklyn. However, his new Manhattan teammates have not been afraid to take digs at their crosstown rivals.
On Saturday, Bridges joined Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart in Central Park for an episode of "Roommates Show Block Party," a podcast and event that celebrated hope and excitement for the Knicks' endeavors. Hart, like many Knicks enthusiasts, is known for his constant prods to the Nets and asked Bridges how it felt "to be in greener pastures." Of course, the crowd reacted to the comment, and instead of giving in to Hart's antics, Bridges gave the Nets a shout-out:
"Ya'll should appreciate Brooklyn because it made me better," Bridges said, via The New York Post. "F***, my game grew there."
Mikal Bridges Nets' tenure was essential to his development
Bridges was already on a rapid ascent before he arrived in Brooklyn. In addition to making the NBA All-Defensive First Team during the 2021-22 season, Bridges saw a surge in his offense. After averaging 14.2 points per game that season, he lept to a 17.2 mark in 2022-23. The Suns traded him in the middle of his offensive expansion, which was no problem because he carried his abilities over to Brooklyn.
In his first 26 games with the Nets, Bridges averaged a whopping 26.1 points per game. Then, he averaged 19.6 points per game during his first full season with the team in 2023-24.
Bridges' time with the Nets did not end how he wanted, as the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019 in 2024. However, the leadership position he was thrust into helped him develop and take his next step toward stardom.
The highly-touted two-way forward may be on the opposite side now, but Nets fans will not forget the moments of excitement he brought during his brief stint in the borough.