Mikal Bridges' record stands very strong and is incredible by today's NBA standards.
But the Knicks guard is no joke.
AC Green's record of 1,192 consecutive games played is untouchable.
“There's no way we're going to get him,” Bridges said. “You have to see what he was doing at the end.” [of his streak]. Was he subbing in and subbing out? It's not that deep, I promise. Just trying to play. ”
Bridges, who has played in 474 consecutive games and hasn't missed a game since being drafted in 2018, kept his record alive by playing just four seconds in the final game in Brooklyn. Therefore, the importance of that streak may be underestimated.
From a historical standpoint, Bridges' winning streak is only the 13th longest in the NBA behind John Stockton and Derek Fisher. But in the age of load management and injury maintenance, sustained availability is much more of an outlier. No current player can match Bridges' streak.
He said Wednesday it was a combination of luck, genetics and a commitment to recovery.
“People ask me what the secret is, and I just say, 'I'm blessed.' I have fine bones, so I can tolerate it really well,” Bridges said. Said. “I'm just doing a lot of recovery and lifting. I'm just doing things that help prevent it. [injuries]. That's pretty much it. ”
Bridges also said he was one of the last Knicks players in the locker room after Wednesday night's preseason win over the Wizards.
“I'm not just going to hang out here,” said Bridges, who played 31 minutes in the preseason game and had three steals and 16 points. “I'm doing it for recovery to help my body and feel better the next day because that's the most important thing. I feel fine right now, but my eyes… You wake up the next day.'' So I try to feel good tonight so I don't feel so bad tomorrow. ”
Bridges, now 28 and in his seventh season, said he is learning new tricks to stay healthy, including cupping and dry needling therapy.
“As I've gotten older, I feel like I've always added things and learned things. The cups were new. Needling last year was new,” Bridges said. “It’s just adding little things that we haven’t done before.”
But no matter how many tricks Bridges learns, the mark on the green from 23 years ago will never be fixed. To complete this streak, Bridges will need to play every game for the next 8 3/4 seasons.
Some records remain forever.
