It’s safe to say Mikal Bridges had a night to forget when the New York Knicks got steamrolled by the Boston Celtics in their season opener. But if you thought Knicks fans were the only ones in a panic, NBA analyst Myles Brown decided to add a little extra salt to the wound with some Twitter gold. After Bridges’ jumper clanked off the rim repeatedly, Brown hilariously roasted the new Knicks star, tweeting that Bridges’ jump shot “changed its pronouns to nah/son.” Ouch.
A Pricey Offseason Gamble?
The Knicks went all-in on Mikal Bridges this offseason, shipping out three players and five—yes, FIVE—first-round picks to get him from the Brooklyn Nets. In New York, you don’t just get a warm welcome—you get an entire city breathing down your neck if things go south, and, unfortunately, Bridges’ new shot mechanics have Knicks fans sweating bullets. After shooting an abysmal 2-for-19 from deep during the preseason, Bridges’ jumper seems to have developed a bit of an identity crisis. Knicks fans watched in horror as their $200 million investment missed his first five shots, including four painful bricks from three-point land.
But hey, it wasn’t all bad—Bridges’ second half was respectable, going 4-for-5 when the game was basically over (better late than never, right?). He finished the night with 16 points, 7-for-13 shooting, and a lot of side-eyes from Knicks fans who were expecting something more along the lines of “next franchise cornerstone” rather than “next big headache.”
The Search for a Smoother Stroke
For those scratching their heads over why Bridges suddenly looks like he forgot how to shoot, there’s actually a method to this madness. Apparently, he’s been trying to fix a hitch in his form that’s haunted him since entering the NBA. Once upon a time at Villanova, Bridges had one of the smoothest jumpers in college basketball. But after some NBA tweaks, things went awry, and he’s been working to reclaim that silky stroke ever since.
In his own words: “Ever since I got into the league, been trying to fix it back to when I was in college… my second year in the league, I had the hitch, and tried to build back from that ever since.”
So yeah, it’s been seven long years of trying to regain his groove—sort of like that one friend who’s been trying to learn the guitar for half a decade but still only knows the intro to “Smoke on the Water.”
Enter Josh Hart: The Bridge(s) Defender
Thankfully, Bridges isn’t facing this storm alone. His teammate and bestie, Josh Hart, has come to his defense, and he’s not here for the haters. After the game, Hart called the slander “stupid” (gotta love blunt honesty) and dismissed the noise about Bridges’ new shot form.
“Mikal don’t care about anything else,” Hart told reporters. “We don’t care about all the background noise on Mikal, his shot. He puts the work in every day, he’s going to be good. The talk around it is stupid.”
Knicks fans might still be nervous, but Hart wants you all to calm down—after all, Bridges has been an almost 40% career three-point shooter. Apparently, this is just a minor speed bump on the road to NBA stardom. Or at least that’s what we’re all hoping, right?
What’s Next for Bridges and the Knicks?
Bridges, Hart, and the Knicks are back in action on Friday night at Madison Square Garden for their home opener against the Indiana Pacers. Here’s hoping Mikal’s jumper gets its pronouns sorted out before then. Because if not, we can probably expect more Twitter roasts, and no one wants that (except for the meme-makers, of course).
