Mikal Bridges’ 500th consecutive game puts him in elite category of NBA iron men

Brooklyn Nets star wing Mikal Bridges recently played his 500th consecutive game, further establishing his place among the NBA’s all-time most durable iron men.

Bridges, 27, hasn’t missed a regular season or playoff game over six seasons since being drafted No. 10 in the 2018 NBA draft. Tuesday’s home matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans marked his 500th career game. On Thursday, Bridges extended his league-leading games-played streak to 501 games.

To put that into perspective, Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid, who was drafted No. 3 in the 2014 NBA draft, has tallied 481 regular season and playoff games. So, Bridges has appeared in 20 more contests despite being drafted four years later.

Mikal Bridges’ games-played streak puts him in rare company. Per Interbasket.net, only 10 players have longer such streaks. However, the Nets star is still far from catching former LA Lakers forward A.C. Green, who sits in first place.

The three-time NBA champion played a whopping 1,192 consecutive games from Nov. 19, 1986, to April 17, 2001.

Green’s record is widely considered unbeatable. However, with the continued advancements in sports medicine, perhaps Bridges will one day challenge Green.

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Nets support Mikal Bridges extending games-played streak despite drop-off in production

While Mikal Bridges hasn’t missed a game this season, it hasn’t translated to team success, as the Nets (26-44) sit 11th in the Eastern Conference. They trail the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks (30-39) by 4.5 games with just 12 remaining. Thus, their playoff hopes appear to be all but over.

Meanwhile, Bridges’ offensive production continues to wane. He averaged 26.1 points per game on 47.5% shooting over 27 games after being acquired by the Nets midseason last year. During that span, he showcased the potential to be a No. 1 scoring option.

However, this season, he is averaging 20.5 ppg on 43.9% shooting through 70 games. Furthermore, over 16 games since the All-Star break, the 27-year-old is averaging just 16.7 ppg on 38.6% shooting.

Bridges' steep drop-off in production has led to questions about potential fatigue issues stemming from his lack of time off.

According to Nets interim coach Kevin Ollie, the franchise respects Bridges’ decision to keep extending his streak. However, Ollie noted that a future minutes restriction is on the table.

“We always sit down with our medical team. We think about what’s best for the organization, what’s best for the players. … We’re all talking about that,” Ollie said.

“We’re gonna make the best decision for Mikal, and the best decision for our organization, if something ever arises like that. We’re gonna support him. We’re gonna be out there for him. We want him to continue to shoot.”

So, barring any unexpected setbacks, it doesn’t look like Mikal Bridges’ games-played streak will end anytime soon.

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