Mikal Bridges built a massive championship pedigree in college and in the NBA. He won two national titles at Villanova and, recently, the 2026 championship with the New York Knicks .
Yet, Bridges' time with the Wildcats did not begin the way many would expect from a future champion. From his perspective, the path looked frustratingly slow. But instead of complaining, Mikal stuck with the process and slowly saw the rewards of his patience.
Bridges arrived at 800 E. Lancaster Avenue as a lanky 17-year-old. He knew how to play basketball, especially on defense, but it was evident he needed to work on his body. He could barely bench-press 135 pounds, and the mechanics on his jump shot were totally off.
With these things in mind, Mikal willingly redshirted his freshman year instead of looking for greener pastures. "Redshirting," for context, means sitting out of official competition to preserve eligibility for four years of college, although the athlete is still considered part of the team. He could train, practice and receive scholarships.
Bridges considered this chapter of his hoops career one of the most difficult stretches he ever faced.
"It was one of the toughest years of my life," Mikal admitted on "The Dan Patrick Show." "Going on and playing basketball every year, and then you went to college, now you're told you have to sit out the whole year when you're completely healthy. It was tough because you want to play and be out there and the excitement from going Division I and you got your family and friends."
"In the beginning, it was tough. I was upset and everything because I couldn't play," added Bridges.
It didn't take long for Bridges to realize this was the best route. He had two future NBA players ahead of him in the Wildcats' depth chart ( Josh Hart and Darrun Hilliard ), so it's not like he would get plenty of minutes anyway. He persevered, and eventually, his time to shine arrived.
"In the grand scheme of things, this is the best thing that ever happened to me. I learned patience… I learned workout habits, like how to be the last person to stay in the gym, how to want to be in the gym, all those things. I was just very grateful for that," Bridges concluded.
Fate really has a bizarre way of rewarding patience. Bridges became a part of the 2016 Villanova squad immediately after his redshirt year, and then repeated as champs two years later as its starting forward.
By then, scouts had already taken notice of the lanky kid with a 7'2" wingspan. Bridges' jump shot has become automatic as he has shot nearly 44 percent from deep in six attempts per contest. Moreover, he led Villanova in steals (1.5) while placing second in blocks (1.1).
And ironically, those games Bridges missed in his redshirt year turned out to be a blip in a career defined by availability. Since then, he has become basketball's modern ironman. Mikal hasn't missed a game since college, playing all 116 games in three years at Villanova.
Then, he appeared in 638 consecutive NBA games since his rookie season. It's the longest active streak and the eighth longest all-time .
The time Bridges spent on the sideline was nothing more than an investment. After all, development is not always linear. That redshirt year truly served its purpose, and now, MB is reaping all the benefits.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
