Mikal Bridges And Mom Thankful He Was Traded By Hometown 76ers On Draft Night

After Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges was drafted by his hometown Philadelphia 76ers in 2018, he was ecstatic. But when he was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, he wasn’t sure what to think.

I didn’t know what they were saying, I was confused,” Bridges said the night of the trade via ABC Philadelphia.

Fast forward three years, and Mikal Bridges is a key piece of a Suns team that looks poised to win a championship.

“It’s been a journey. It’s been wild ever since draft night, and it’s great. I’m happy I’m here,” Bridges says.

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Mikal Bridges’ mom, Tyneeha Rivers, also got excited when it seemed like he was going to be playing in Philly. But she now realizes that it was all a blessing in disguise.

“It was truly an emotional rollercoaster,” said Rivers. “At the end of the day, it was for the best, and look where he is at now.”

After everything they’ve been through, Rivers says her son always shares his gratitude.

“He always says, ‘Thank you mom, I couldn’t be here without you,’ and it means a lot to me,” she says.

While he was getting ready for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Mikal Bridges opened up on how much his mom has sacrificed to be able to get him to this point.

“Basketball moms are great. They do a lot. They’re usually the ones with the cars packed with all your friends in there to take you to the games,” Bridges said. “I’m just happy that my mom is one of the great moms, and I’m just blessed.”

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