Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges knew exactly what would happen to him if he didn’t make it to the NBA, and with help from his local public school, he was able to make that dream come true this month.
The small forward became a teacher for a day, coaching students in math class and on the court at PS 134 in Brooklyn. CBS News reported last week.
“Another dream of mine was to be a second grade teacher,” Bridges told the news station. “I think just helping kids was always a big thing for me.”
He specifically wanted to teach second grade because his own second grade teacher, Mr. Porter, made it a memorable year in early education in Philadelphia.
“I had a great teacher named Mr. Porter. I feel like I always loved second grade,” Bridges said.
The basketball player followed in Porter’s footsteps at Kensington Public Schools late into the night, but had just arrived back in town around 1:30 a.m. after a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The students helped him with his lack of adequate sleep.
“Their energy was the reason I was able to go so fast. They got me excited,” Bridges said.
He spent the morning playing basketball with curious fourth graders during PE time and answered all their questions about his life and career.
According to CBS, one student asked why she didn’t become a teacher if she wanted to.
“Because of basketball. But basketball doesn’t last forever,” he replied. “This is just the first part of my journey, so I think the teacher will come next. I’m trying to do both.”
Next, music class began.
The 6-foot-6 player was sitting in a chair next to a first-grader learning to play “Baby Shark” on the xylophone.
Bridges said her smaller classmates helped her when she had trouble playing together.
“They taught me a little xylophone. I didn’t know what I was doing…I didn’t know what the teacher was teaching me,” he said. “The kid next to me pointed at the board and said, ‘Follow this, follow that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I get it.’ That makes sense. ‘”
He joined the children during lunch and recess, then stood at the front of the classroom and played the role of teacher in his favorite subject, mathematics.
“Math was easy for me. I feel like I was probably one of the smartest mathematicians in the class,” Bridges said, adding that as a child, he helped other students. “I try to teach them, like, ‘Oh, this is how I learned and this method is very easy for me.’ Think of it this way. ”
He gave the first graders basketball-related math problems and ended the day with a newfound appreciation for their teachers.
“Most days we’re at school,” he said. “And we’re with the teachers, and I don’t think they’re getting enough credits. We’re around them a lot, so you know what I mean. And they help us become better people every day. And I think some are a little bit overlooked.”
The NBA star hopes to make his second dream a reality when he retires from basketball. After he finishes his athletic career, he said, he wants to become a teacher or a principal.
