Mikal Bridges stole his 3-point celebration.
In fact, he left the NBA to do so. He found his ideal move waiting in MLB with the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado.
Now, the New York Knicks’ wing will be hoping to do that celebration plenty on the biggest stage.
The Knicks are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, taking on the San Antonio Spurs. Bridges is the kind of player who can make a huge difference in a series thanks to his combination of shooting and defense.
And if he’s shining brightly, it’s very likely you’ll see a Machado-esque celebration from Bridges.
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What is Mikal Bridges’ celebration?
Bridges will point at his bench, often using three fingers to signify that he made a 3-pointer.
It matches up Machado’s celebration he does on a double, when he pulls into the bag and points at the dugout with some swagger and a head bob.
“I watch the Phillies all the time, so I’d be locked [in],” Bridges told MLB.com in 2023. “And I’m a big fan of Manny Machado. So watching him getting doubles and stuff like that, I’m just watching the game, and I see him just point and turn the head. I’m just like: ‘Hmm. I might add that. I might add that in my own little 3-point way.’ It stuck.”
Machado had already noticed by the point Bridges made that comment in 2023, and he said, “I freaking love it.”
The MLB.com story does note that the Padres didn’t even really know where the Machado celebration started.
Bridges broke it out in the 2022-23 season, and it has stuck with him along the way.
Now, the hope is that it can become a championship celebration.
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