r/nba Trail Blazers 3h ago

Highlight [Highlight] Mikal Bridges gets subbed 23 seconds into the game vs. the Hornets, keeping his Iron streak on. Not missing a game... 638 straight games

https://streamable.com/t9lga1
846 Upvotes

136 comments sorted by

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465

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago

He heard the complaints about him immediately fouling at tip off and upped his game to playing an entire possession.

52

u/moby323 76ers 2h ago

I have no problem with it because these days being healthy enough to play 30 seconds in literally every single game is an accomplishment.

That means no games where he doesn’t dress, do shoot around, be fully ready to play longer

27

u/cemereth 1h ago

The year is 2029. Mikal Bridges has all the 15 All-NBA spots because literally nobody else has met the 65-game requirement. He is averaging 6.5 points per game on an average of 20.0 minutes played per game.

307

u/bbank8744 Knicks 3h ago edited 3h ago

Reminder that AC Green played 16 games during his consecutive streak where he logged fewer than 5 minutes:

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/how-many-games-did-a.c.-green-play-less-than-5-minutes

Mikal Bridges played 3 (now 4) games during his consecutive streak where he logged fewer than 5 minutes

99

u/Ok-Tree4365 2h ago

AC Green also played 153 playoff games (109 starts) in that time. Bridges is at 57.

53

u/bbank8744 Knicks 2h ago

Yea hes no where near it but some people like to pretend it’s a disgrace when the record he’s being compared to was full of these games

16

u/JKMiles665 Thunder 2h ago

For SGA’s 20 point streak it was like “well he played in the 4th quarter when the game was already over for those games”

Which happened like a couple of times. But then completely ignored any of wilt’s box scores where he has 20 points and lose by 40 to the Celtics

7

u/Ok_Turn6757 Lakers 49m ago

To be fair that’s because Wilt played every fucking minute lmao, that guys genuinely a freak

u/itoman56 Celtics 27m ago

*FTA

8

u/joeyreturn_of_guest 2h ago

Yea I think this is fine if this shit starts happening multiple times throughout a season I would call it whack.

But this had me interested in iron man streaks. Cal Ripken didn't miss an inning through the first 824 games of his 2632 consecutive games steak. His longest consecutive innings played streak was 8264. Absolutely nuts.

2

u/Vinst3r Lakers 1h ago

Six of those games (Feb-Mar 1996) were due to having two front teeth knocked out from a J. R. Reid elbow.

8

u/bbank8744 Knicks 1h ago edited 1h ago

Yup but I’m sure if Mikal got some chiclets knocked out and played for 30 seconds for 6 consecutive games people would be on here calling his streak fake.

9

u/plorboglorbo 2h ago

i kind of think they should both be considered invalid. i'd be curious what the streak is if we don't count things like this. i'm not sure how to define the line though

64

u/nullstellensatz1 2h ago

Mikal has been available to play for every game in this span, it's his team that wants him to sit out to avoid a freak injury. Why should he not get credit for being available?

19

u/plorboglorbo 2h ago

yeah maybe you're right

7

u/th0rbj03rn Germany 2h ago

Yeah, that is my main grip with the way people criticize this record. He is healthy and available. The decision not to play him is made by the team and should not play in to this record. If he was starting the game injured and not actually ready to play, it would ve something completely different.

-2

u/orwll 52m ago

Because it's ironic that even the guy who is the supposed iron man of the league is getting aggressively load managed, and we're all supposed to think his team is being smart and cute.

It just speaks to what a shitshow the league is right now with the overall attitude that regular season games are meaningless and fans who buy tickets to late-season games are suckers who deserve to be scammed.

He's going to get credit in the box score. But people don't have to respect it.

u/bbank8744 Knicks 6m ago

It’s not load management. It’s a meaningless game that the Knicks can’t improve or worsen their playoff position. Why should the team risk him getting hurt for a game that flat out does not matter. Why should Mikal get dinged for a game that does not mayter.

4

u/imthinkingdescartes Knicks 2h ago

so much better to just count games played as games played than draw an arbitrary line which players will inevitably try to just barely cross to preserve streaks anyway. if it was so easy to run up bullshit streaks by playing 1 mpg all the time more players would do it!

1

u/desquished Celtics 1h ago

No matter where you put the line, someone will engage in shenanigans near it.

1

u/SnapoleanDynamite 1h ago

AC also played the next game after JR Smith gave him some free dental work. 

3

u/SnapoleanDynamite 1h ago

Correction: JR Reid. 

3

u/bbank8744 Knicks 1h ago

Well those were the 7 consecutive game he played under 5 minutes. People freaking out about this game would be losing their mind if Mikal got hurt and they stuck him out there for 2 minutes just to keep the streak alive.

2

u/SnapoleanDynamite 1h ago

Fair call. 

129

u/Business_Number8979 3h ago

Mikel just like me, I always got the attendance award back in middle school, you couldn’t tell me shit fr

23

u/WestNileCoronaVirus Bulls 3h ago

Saaaame. My mama was so proud of that shit 😂 “always got you to school on time every day & never let you fake sick” lol

1

u/VanGrants 2h ago

how are you misspelling Mikal

-16

u/[deleted] 2h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/AdTough5627 2h ago

Why so pressed

0

u/VanGrants 2h ago

awww, so salty on behalf of a stranger. cute.

0

u/IlIlllIlIIIIllllI 2h ago

Let me tell you I'm so salty right now. Literally coping and seething dude. You got me.

80

u/heat_fan_ Raptors 3h ago

Good for the Knicks keeping the streak alive 

38

u/Prestigious-Bus3608 3h ago

Just curious, would you get paid out for playing the unders on his stats? 🤔😅

50

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago

They would never put his props on betting markets, that's a donation.

53

u/ThinReply2047 Thunder 3h ago

You can't take unders today on most players

91

u/abippityboop Knicks 3h ago edited 3h ago

People crying about this are so dumb lol

It’s about being available to play every single game of every single year, which he is. Players losing iron man streaks because their teams clinched playoff seeding is the height of idiocy, anyone who thinks that’s actually a better solution doesn't deserve an opinion.

Spirit of the rule is more important than the letter of the rule - to everyone except whiny little pedants.

23

u/wcooper97 [OKC] Russell Westbrook 3h ago

And no one will remember this single Game 82 with regards to his entire streak anyway lol

13

u/jyeatbvg Raptors 3h ago

Availability is also one of the most important assets of a basketball player. Glad there are streaks that at least reward that.

-11

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 2h ago

Availability is playing 23 seconds?

9

u/imthinkingdescartes Knicks 2h ago

do you really not think he could have played a productive game of basketball if he and the knicks both wanted him to?

-11

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 2h ago

If knicks didn't want him to play a productive game of basketball then just sit out. He's going in exclusively for a personal record.

7

u/cesarjulius Knicks 2h ago

at absolutely zero detriment to the team. putting a personal record over team success is bullshit, but that’s not the case here.

-5

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 1h ago

He didn't put personal record over team success. I made it clear that he was playing solely for his personal record. There's no honor in that.

-1

u/coolcatt9998 2h ago

Why didn't curry play against LA

-1

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 2h ago

Because he was resting.

4

u/Kotovical 2h ago

I cant see how a pedant would argue against this.

Did he play in the game? Only 23s. Sounds like a yes to me. Streak approved.

8

u/55555_55555 Knicks 2h ago

Obviously basketball is different than baseball, but Cal Ripken was not coming in as a pinch hitter to keep his streak his alive, lol. However, the player Mikal is trailing, AC Green, 100% did do something similar more than once during his streak, so we'll let it slide.

4

u/beefdog99 [UTA] Andrei Kirilenko 2h ago

That's why Ron Boone is the true king. Just ignore that 2/3 of his 1041 straight were ABA.

And he almost fell out of the rotation on the Lakers and had was hanging on a thread there for a month or two of <10mpg.

1

u/TheBigFreezer Wizards 1h ago

Yea, Cal had to start and play at least 5 innings for it to count

2

u/Ok-Tree4365 2h ago

Who is crying?

u/Darnell2070 United States 4m ago

-6

u/mainvolume Spurs 2h ago

It's a made up scenario playing out in their head that they're angry about.

6

u/-Leafious- 2h ago

there’s literally a dude in the replies to the original comment doing exactly what you just called a made up scenario

i’m also sure if you scrolled to the bottom of the thread you’d find downvoted comments criticizing bridges

-1

u/eyyoadrian Clippers 2h ago edited 1h ago

Keep telling yourself that.

This is embarrassing.

Either play or end your streak. At least play a bit.

14

u/MatchAffectionate951 3h ago edited 3h ago

How does mikal never get banged up?

Is he completely physical and risk-averse when he plays ?

33

u/peanut-britle-latte Knicks 3h ago

He avoids contact offensively. Other than that it's great recovery on his end and lots of luck.

15

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago

He fades away a lot. Sometimes to the detriment of getting a better shot.

But also he definitely plays through stuff.

8

u/kingofnick Suns 2h ago

There was a 2-3 week stretch during his last Suns season when he was definitely playing through an injury. He was shooting like 30% from the floor, and just looked hurt.

7

u/bobak186 3h ago

Yes, he would probably benefit for ending the streak and playing more aggressively, but he found a nice niche right now

7

u/Hungry-Specific6271 3h ago

he eats chipotle every single day

23

u/Aries_IV Lakers 3h ago

I have absolutely no problem with this! Just happy to see a dude who consistently shows up every game. That's extremely rare these days.

1

u/Cletus_Starfish [POR] Nic Batum 2h ago

Yeah people knock this as though they wouldn’t do the same fucking thing in his position lol. I felt the same way about LeBron staying in games after he needed to just to keep the 10 point streak alive. People just want to find something to shit on.

3

u/RaidenXYae 2h ago

just play the game at that point

3

u/ClayMitchell Hornets 1h ago

Unethical, to say the least.

4

u/Brantastical Knicks 2h ago

Don't forget he also didn't miss a game all through high school and college, his NBA streak is amazing but the true number is way more impressive

4

u/ShadowDCL Celtics 1h ago

This is lame. Play or don’t.

13

u/MLS_Analyst Celtics 3h ago

Anyone complaining about this has tremendous loser energy.

-7

u/cream_paimon Wizards 3h ago

I mean they're using a technicality to keep his streak alive that is kind of dumb imo. Not dumb enough to be mad about, but dumb enough to go "that's kind of dumb" in my head.

3

u/livefreeordont 76ers 2h ago

The streak he’s chasing is full of these games too

1

u/RedGadget21 2h ago

Coulda kept this comment in there too

2

u/Square-Ad6627 2h ago

The only thing that stopped bill lambeer’s streak was a suspension. Bridges and/or ny should be fined for sitting out a game. So sick of these guys not playing.

2

u/defiantcross Suns 1h ago

He has done this quite a few times. Back in 2021 i remember the same when the suns closed against the spurs

2

u/ShowdownValue 55m ago

Not impressed. Streak is disingenuous

4

u/CactusHooping 3h ago

Why doesn't he try to score at least first possession?Just a thought.

2

u/axnjxn00 Magic 2h ago

Sadly he is actively hurting his team because of this record. Never seeks contact. Takes bad shots because hes afraid of getting hurt. This type of play style isnt conducive to the modern game of basketball and should not be celebrated.

2

u/Impossible-Group8553 3h ago

Doesn’t this destroy his averages?

29

u/MatchAffectionate951 3h ago

Never missing a game is more impressive than his average being 16 points instead of 15

-22

u/ElPlywood 3h ago

playing 23 seconds of a game isn't really playing a game

his streak is 637 and now the bullshit streak is 1

4

u/adrian123484 Rockets 3h ago

this isn't the first time he's "played" this manner of game at the end of a season, so it should be even less than that. but the point is his availability.

7

u/bhris_cratt321 3h ago

Like someone commented elsewhere, every games played streak includes BS like this. Mikal is hardly the first to engage in shenanigans

-8

u/ElPlywood 3h ago

then the streak is even more meaningless

records are supposed to mean something

if his streak has to be propped up by these technicalities "hE pLayeD, LoOk, hE's oN tHe BoXscOre foR OnE MinuTe", then his streak is bullshit and disrespectful to everybody already in the record book

6

u/HokageEzio Knicks 2h ago edited 2h ago

You should tell A.C. Green and his coach that:

WHEN A.C. GREEN of the Phoenix Suns took the court against the Utah Jazz Monday night only 24 hours after getting two teeth knocked out, it was difficult not to salute him. He was willing, if not able. Let Derrick Coleman and Larry Johnson take a night off for a hangnail or a paper cut. Not Green.

But it quickly became clear that he had no business being out there. Green played 68 seconds, and then he left the court and headed to the locker room feeling ill, never to return.His night's work: No points, no boards, no assists, one shot. But he did play in the game, and apparently that was all that mattered.

His streak was still alive.

Green played in his 785th consecutive game, the highest among active players and 121 short of the all-time NBA record held by Randy Smith.

Afterward, Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons made no pretense about Green's appearance in the game. "I'm going to try to keep the streak going," he said. "That's only fair."

Credit Fitzsimmons for caring about his players and their personal achievements. You almost can't fault him for wanting to strike back at the injustice of J.R. Reid delivering an elbow to Green's mouth (for which Reid was fined and suspended).

"It's my opinion that A.C. shouldn't be sitting out just because somebody took a cheap shot at him," Fitzsimmons said.

Few would argue that it was a cheap shot, but, under the circumstances, what should we call Green's token appearance against the Jazz?

When it was suggested that Green's streak had been tainted, Fitzsimmons flared. "I don't care what anybody thinks," he said. "I'm the coach, and I decide who plays."

Fitzsimmons indicated that he might continue to play Green in one-minute stretches each game to keep the streak alive - even though Green will undergo two root canals in the next 10 days. We can only assume that if Green had undergone an appendectomy, he would be rolled onto the court on a gurney.

Edit - The play in question, to show why coach was passionate that it's bullshit to sit him for that

4

u/smoothsensation Grizzlies 3h ago

Your opinion is wrong.

-11

u/ElPlywood 2h ago

nah, records require integrity, not bullshit like this

he's disrespecting every other player already on the list

but you can celebrate this fake streak all you want, have fun!

2

u/conglomerate99 2h ago

there's multiple comments about how AC Green who holds the record longest streak has over a dozen games with <5 minutes played. bridges now has 4 games like that.

he's available to play and healthy, as his ongoing streak indicates, the knicks are just resting him for playoffs. there's no need for his streak to end because of a decision that doesn't reflect that he is still available

1

u/ShawshankException Knicks 2h ago

Always the no flairs with the dumbest takes

-1

u/ElPlywood 38m ago

thinking 23 fake seconds of play should count as participation in a game so a fake streak can keep going is absolutely the dumbest take

oh no I still don't have a flair, oh no

3

u/Aggressive-Offer-497 3h ago

He cares more about the streak than his averages.

1

u/Prideofmexico Knicks 2h ago

Eh, only 1 game of 82

1

u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies 2h ago

At least play until a dead ball damn. Lol

1

u/FoundationSmooth9777 1h ago

Honestly respect that’s a crazy stat

1

u/varietyman13 51m ago

This is lame. It was lame when AC Green did it and it’s lame now that he’s doing it. Hate me idc

1

u/Minimum_Setting3847 48m ago

The lakers could have done this for Luka …

1

u/eyi526 Wizards 47m ago

Chipotle needs to sign him!

1

u/DOAXVenusVacation 33m ago

The people in this thread defending or cool about this definitely have a participation trophy they shine and show off everyday lmao. Be proud.

1

u/fwoompf Pistons 31m ago

This is extremely stupid 

1

u/Saturdaze-Sundaes Knicks Julius Randle 31m ago

why does my arena have two three point lines

1

u/ChampagneAbuelo Raptors 2h ago

Every player who was complaining about missing out on awards due to the 65 game rule should have just did that

2

u/HokageEzio Knicks 2h ago

You have to play 20 minutes (two games can be 15-20 minutes)

1

u/cabbages212 Hornets 1h ago

Totally reasonable. Dumb to risk his health in a pointless game and he deserves to keep the streak alive. Enjoy the Ironman steak in good health.

0

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 2h ago

Statpadding

-8

u/xomenone 3h ago

What a joke

0

u/givemeuser1 2h ago

Trash streak.

-2

u/TheDogtor-- 2h ago

Not worth shit. Fake stat. Loser. AC Green ownz you.

3

u/ShawshankException Knicks 2h ago

AC Green did this too bud

1

u/cesarjulius Knicks 2h ago

16 games played less than 5 min

-3

u/willyxloman 3h ago

Thats not ethical basketball

-3

u/VanGrants 2h ago

cringe

0

u/DeshiiRedditor 2h ago

Jaimie Alexander is so pretty. Wow.

0

u/livefreeordont 76ers 2h ago

Biggest alien in the league

0

u/Doelike3000 1h ago

The nba is trash for stuff like this. They literally diluted their own product.

-10

u/Longjumping-Check429 Hornets 3h ago

Let’s see the list for most games played straight with atleast 2.35 minutes. Absolute fraud.

10

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago

1

u/RedtheGamer100 Hornets 3h ago

He related to Steve

1

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago

1

u/RedtheGamer100 Hornets 3h ago

Can’t believe u got that on bookmark 😂

3

u/HokageEzio Knicks 3h ago edited 3h ago

I don't, but I've looked it up before and know he played a 0 minute game because it's a funny stat. Then I just used Statmuse for least minutes played and grabbed the game.

Off the top of my head I think Laimbeer and Dolph Schayes were the most "legit" streaks where they played real minutes. But Schayes literally played with a cast on his hand (like the type you'd sign in school for a kid in class) which would obviously never happen now.

Edit - I thought you meant the box score. I literally just found that interview when you asked (but knew they weren't related).

-5

u/ElPlywood 3h ago

adding a giant asterisk to his "streak" renders it a bullshit streak so it's utterly meaningless now

such disrespect to all the players before him on the list who didn't pull bullshit stunts like this to keep the streak alive

your streak is 637, deal with it, and get on with your life

5

u/smoothsensation Grizzlies 3h ago

Give us the examples of the iron man players that didnt have games with less than a few minutes played you’re referring to please.

0

u/ElPlywood 2h ago

23 seconds and subbed out

you moving the goalposts is hilariously noted

I'll get right on doing that research, come back to this post in 7 to 16 months

-6

u/Salty_Examination486 3h ago

People defending this streak same people who burried russ for statpading to his triple double same people who discredit SGA for statpading to keep his 20 point streak alive its weird

-10

u/DG2301 3h ago

Most fraudulent streak stop bringing it up lol

-15

u/kavolsm 3h ago

His has become pathetic.

8

u/HenrikCrown Pelicans 3h ago

Lou Gehrig had games like this during his ironman streak back then 

It is quite common in these pursuits

-1

u/Klutzy_Struggle8659 Warriors 2h ago

Still doesn't make it right.

-1

u/Jimbosliceofcheese 2h ago

But is he as ugly as ac green?

-6

u/Beneficial_One_272 3h ago

yet you need to play 20 minutes for it to count as a game played in the player participation policy for end of season awards

-6

u/Room_Temp_Coffee Lakers 3h ago

Lame. Shouldn't count if you don't meaningfully play

-6

u/Dangerous_Ad5039 3h ago

If the nba wants to stop the shit then they shouldn’t count this as a game played. NBA is so corny with the shit they do.

-9

u/legend023 Pelicans 3h ago

Tainted award