ORLANDO, Fla. — Iron Man Mikal Bridges made his 500th consecutive appearance in Sunday’s 100-91 victory over the Magic, a streak that started from his first rookie game with the Suns.
It’s among the more impressive accomplishments in the NBA given the recent context. Few players can now manage 82 straight games, let alone 500.
Nobody in the league is close.
“He played 500 straight?” Karl-Anthony Towns asked in amazement. “Nah, we got to drug test him.”
Still, Bridges is less than halfway to A.C. Green’s all-time record of 1,192 straight games played. It’s a sign of a different era and, given the prevalence of load management in Adam Silver’s NBA, Green’s record is much safer than Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points.
Bridges is the only potential threat.
“Everyone talks about offensive traits and talents and defensive traits and talents, but the most impactful and the greatest trait you can have is availability and he has it and he’s shown it,” Towns said. “Shoutout to him. That’s a huge accomplishment.”
Bridges said durability was instilled by his mother and Villanova coach Jay Wright, but there were some dicey moments along the way.
“One where I was in Phoenix, where I hyperextended my knee,” Bridges explained. “We were going to San Antonio, I was real nervous. It was painful. … Then when I was in Brooklyn, I did something to my wrist. I thought I broke my hand. I couldn’t sleep at night. It was bad. And then when I woke up, it was just my wrist.”
Thibodeau, a long-time admirer and friend of Bill Belichick, called him “the all-time greatest coach” while lauding the move to North Carolina and name-dropping a former ESPN insider.
“I think [going to the NCAA] is more appealing now probably more than ever,” Thibodeau said. “Colleges now are hiring GMs. Like the great Adrian Wojnarowski. St. Bonaventure. Shoutout to my father.”
Thibodeau’s father, Thomas Sr., attended St. Bonaventure and became a dedicated supporter of the Bonnies basketball team. Wojnarowski recently shocked the basketball world by leaving his preeminent newsbreaker position at ESPN to become the basketball GM of St. Bonaventure, his alma mater.
Thibodeau, meanwhile, has never considered a career change.
“I never really planned on anything other than I knew I wanted to be a coach,” he said. “And so every stop I’ve had, I’ve loved the job that I’ve had whether I was an assistant, a college coach, an NBA assistant, an NBA head coach. They’re all great jobs if you love teaching and leadership and being part of a team, being part of an organization. I saw where Bill said that. It really isn’t. If you love what you do, it’s not work. And we’re fortunate to be doing stuff that we love.”
Belichick might’ve joined the same market as Thibodeau but the Jets reportedly rebuffed his interest in their vacant coaching position.
