Knicks' Mikal Bridges Hits Historic Milestone

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has proven that he is an iron man with a new career milestone.

Dec 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates after scoring in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has always been known to be an iron man when it comes to health. Acquired from the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason, Bridges has not missed a single game in his NBA career, dating back to 2018.

Playing in tonight's game against the Orlando Magic, Bridges has now set a career milestone, making NBA history. The 28-year-old, playing in his 500th career game, is the sixth player in NBA history to reach that mark without missing a game.

Mikal Bridges has played his 500th career game. He is now the sixth player in NBA history, and first player since Terry Tyler (1978-1985), to play in their first 500 games without ever missing a game.

— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) December 15, 2024

Bridges is the first player to achieve this feat since Terry Tyler, who played from 1978 to 1985. Tyler played 11 seasons in the NBA.

If there's one thing the Knicks can guarantee from Bridges, it's durability. During the 2022-23 season, he was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Nets, and as a result, became the 42nd player in NBA history to play at least 83 regular-season games due to scheduling.

Through 25 games this season, Bridges is averaging 17.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 48.1% shooting from the field. Although he's struggled at times, New York has gotten a player who is always ready to play. This was something the team needed last year, as injuries marred the Knicks' season heading into the playoffs.

Not only has Bridges set a career milestone with this feat, but he's also playing a career-high 38.3 minutes per game thus far, even amid getting benched in the fourth quarter multiple times on a recent five-game road trip. In a season when the Knicks have lacked bench depth, Bridges has made things easier by being available.

New York will continue to try and improve with Bridges setting Iron Man records. The Knicks have gotten off to somewhat of a disappointing start at 15-10, sitting as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. It isn't abysmal by any means, however, this was a team expected to be contending for a title before the start of the season. Multiple disappointing losses have hurt New York to start the season.

Hopefully the Knicks find a spark with Bridges continuing his streak of games. For now, fans can marvel at this impressive record, proving his reliability and durability.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Knicks Coach Identifies Problem vs. Hawks
• Karl-Anthony Towns Compares Knicks' Progress to LeBron James' Heat
• Karl-Anthony Towns Encouraged by Knicks' Demeanor
• Knicks' NBA Cup Dream Ends vs. Hawks
• NBA Execs Offer Knicks Backhanded Compliment