Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges is the first player since Josh Smith in 2014-15 to play 83 games in a season

Over the last two-to-three seasons, the Brooklyn Nets struggled to have their best players on the court at the same time. That all changed this season when the Nets acquired Mikal Bridges from the Phoenix Suns at the trade deadline. He’s played in all 27 games since coming to the Nets and is making NBA history in doing so. It worked out that Bridges was able to play in 83 games this season and is the first player to do so since Josh Smith in 2014-15. 

Mikal Bridges has played in only 27 games for the Nets this season and he’s already the most reliable player the team has had in the last two-to-three years. He holds the NBA’s longest active streak with 392 straight games played and counting. The 26-year-old has led the league in games played in four of his five NBA seasons. A true iron man in an era where load management gets talked about more and more.

New York Sports Betting sites have the Nets at (+30000) to win the Finals this season.

Mikal Bridges is the first player to play 83 games in a season since Josh Smith in 2014-15. pic.twitter.com/rNhdqyiPWJ

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 10, 2023

Mikal Bridges played in 83 games this season, he’s the first player to do so since Josh Smith in 2014-15

Despite only playing four seconds in Brooklyn’s final regular season game last night, Mikal Bridges still hit 83 games. He’s been the true living definition of an iron man in the NBA. Playing 82 games in a season is a big accomplishment for most players, but it’s become a normal thing for Bridges.

The Nets’ SF has played in 82 games in three of his five NBA seasons and has not missed a game in his NBA career. It’s also a streak that he says goes all the way back to junior year in high school. Bridges played three seasons at Villanova and appeared in all 116 possible games in college as well.

Since being traded to the Nets he’s averaging (26.1) points, (4.5) rebounds, (2.7) assists, and (1.0) steals per game. He quickly became Broooklyn’s go-to scoring option right when he arrived and the Nets will be leaning on his production in their upcoming playoff series vs the 76ers. It will begin this Saturday at 1:00 pm EST when the Nets travel to Philly to play the Sixers in Game 1.