NBA
MB
#25

Mikal Bridges

Forward · New York Knicks · 6'6", 209 lb · Born Aug 30, 1996 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Drafted 10th overall, 2018
2026 Champion600+ game iron-manAll-Defensive (2022)The Warden
NBANew York KnicksForwards
Compare:vs Brunsonvs Clarksonvs Alvaradovs Hartvs Townsvs Shamet
In short

Mikal Bridges is a durable two-way wing for the 2026 NBA champion New York Knicks and one of the great iron men in league history — he has never missed a game, a streak past 600 straight. A two-time NCAA champion at Villanova, he was drafted 10th in 2018, reached the 2021 Finals with Phoenix, and was acquired by New York in 2024 to reunite with his college teammates and help win a title.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceSat, Nov 14
vsOrlando MagicSwitch-heavy
Proj. points
14.3
range 11.6–17
Line 14.5
47%
to go over
Team win
61%
113–111
Poi 14.3 Lean underReb 3.8 Lean underAss 3.7 Lean overPRA 21.8 Lean under
Likely on himJalen Suggs· 84 Perimeter DStrong defender
10+ pts92%15+ pts41%

Model lines Bridges at 14.3 pts (range 11.6–17) vs a 14.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (47%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Bridges
The Bridges Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

The iron man who never misses a game — a Villanova champion traded for five first-rounders to come home and win it all.

A Philadelphia kid raised by a single mother, Bridges won two NCAA titles at Villanova and was drafted 10th in 2018.

🏫 Villanova · 2× champ10th, 2018

He became 'The Warden' in Phoenix — All-Defensive First Team, a 2021 Finals run — then a 45-point scorer in Brooklyn.

🔒 All-Defensive2021 Finals

New York gave up five first-round picks to get him in 2024, reuniting him with Brunson and Hart.

Traded for 5 firstsNova Knicks reunion

He started on the 2026 champions while extending the longest active games-played streak in the NBA — past 600 straight.

🏆 2026 champion638-game streak
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
14.4
2025-26
RPG
3.8
per game
APG
3.7
per game
FG%
.490
.371 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

The NBA's iron man and a lockdown two-way wing — a Villanova champion who came home to New York to win it all.

Mikal Bridges was born in Philadelphia and raised largely by his mother, Tyneeha Rivers, who had him at 19. He won two NCAA titles at Villanova, was drafted 10th in 2018, and became a defensive force in Phoenix, making All-Defensive First Team in 2022 and reaching the NBA Finals in 2021.

Traded to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant deal and then to New York in 2024 for a haul of five first-round picks, he reunited with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Nicknamed 'The Warden' for his defense, he is also basketball's ultimate iron man — he has never missed a game in his career, a streak that stretched past 600 straight — and started on the 2026 championship team.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Bridges's durability is the stuff of legend: he has not missed a single game since entering the NBA in 2018, a streak that reached 638 straight by April 2026 — the longest active run in the league. To protect it in a meaningless regular-season finale, coach Mike Brown played him for roughly 23 seconds, and Bridges committed a quick foul to exit. He famously ate Chipotle nearly every day for a decade.

Raised in the Philadelphia area by a single mother who worked in the 76ers' organization, he built his reputation on reliability and two-way versatility — the kind of low-maintenance, high-availability wing every contender covets. His reunion with Brunson and Hart, the 'Nova Knicks,' turned a college bond into a championship.

PERSONALITY

The person

A durable, versatile 3-and-D wing — the iron man who guards the best and never sits.

Iron manHas never missed a game; a 600-plus consecutive-games streak.
Lockdown wing'The Warden' — All-Defensive First Team (2022), guards the opponent's best scorer.
WinnerTwo NCAA titles, a 2021 Finals run, and a 2026 NBA championship.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Iron-Man Wing · Two-Way
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
58/100
Scoring64
Playmaking50
Rebounding59
Perimeter D78
Rim protection45
Spacing66
Athleticism70
Clutch65
Iron-man durabilityTwo-way wingChampion
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Availability is a skill

Bridges's defining trait is that he's always available — a never-missed-a-game streak past 600 that is worth real wins over a season and a playoff run. Pair that durability with the versatility to guard multiple positions and knock down threes, and he's the archetype of a 3-and-D wing a champion is built around.

The two-way fit

On the Knicks he traded some of his Brooklyn scoring volume for a complementary role: guard the best wing, space the floor, and make the extra pass. Coach Mike Brown even experimented with his minutes at times, but Bridges's defense and reliability were foundational to a title team that leaned on its wing depth.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-268232.814.43.83.7.490.371

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

Iron manHas never missed an NBA game; streak past 638 straight (April 2026)
2026NBA champion as a starting two-way wing with the Knicks
CollegeTwo-time NCAA champion at Villanova (2016, 2018)

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2026)
1×
All-Defensive First Team (2022)
2×
NCAA Champion (2016, 2018)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A durable, versatile 3-and-D wing signed long-term — the iron man of a champion.

On a four-year, $150 million extension through 2029-30, Bridges gives New York availability, perimeter defense, and shooting. His scoring role is complementary next to Brunson and Towns, but his reliability and two-way versatility are exactly what a title team needs on the wing.

DurabilityHistoric
Perimeter defenseElite
Three-point shootingReliable
Self-creationComplementary

Contract

Deal
4 yr / $150M thru 2030
Role
3-and-D wing starter
Age
29 prime
Bottom line

The NBA's iron man and a lockdown wing who came home to win a title. Availability, defense, and shooting — the connective spine of a champion.

FAQ

Quick answers

Has Mikal Bridges ever missed an NBA game?

No — he has never missed a game in his career, a streak that passed 638 consecutive games by April 2026, the longest active run in the league.

How did the Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges?

New York traded a package including five future first-round picks to Brooklyn in 2024 to reunite him with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

Why is Mikal Bridges called 'The Warden'?

For his lockdown perimeter defense; he made All-Defensive First Team in 2022 and typically guards the opponent's best scorer.