Former Sixers Pick Mikal Bridges Dons Phillies Gear in Presser
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Look away, Philadelphia 76ers fans.
Former Villanova standout Mikal Bridges is once again showing his Philly pride while playing for the Phoenix Suns.
The 26-year-old Philly-born wing has never shied away from his Philly fandom. Although he had to relocate to Phoenix in 2018 after the NBA Draft, Bridges has stayed true to his home teams.
And lately, Bridges has been thrilled to root for the Philadelphia Phillies as they’ve had a remarkable playoff run, which resulted in a trip to the 2022 World Series.
On Friday night, Bridges and the Suns faced the New Orleans Pelicans at home. While that game was going down, the Phillies and the Houston Astros participated in Game 1 of the World Series.
After Bridges had a dominant showing against the Pelicans, scoring 27 points off of 13 shots in 31 minutes, the Suns veteran had the opportunity to go back to the locker room and catch the rest of Game 1 between the Phillies and the Astros, which required an extra inning.
Fortunately for Bridges and the city of Philadelphia, the Phillies came out on top with a 6-5 comeback victory, allowing them to take a 1-0 lead in the series. After the game, Bridges participated in his postgame press conference donning a Phillies jersey.
The Suns standout once again gave Sixers fans a feeling of regret for their team.
Back in 2018, when Bridges was coming out of Villanova, he was drafted by the 76ers with the tenth overall pick. It was a feel-good story considering he was a hometown kid that was joining the team he grew up rooting for.
Unfortunately, Bridges’ time with the Sixers was short-lived as the Philly front office flipped him to Phoenix for the draft rights to Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round pick.
That might’ve been years ago, but it still stings Sixers fans out there every time Bridges shows his hometown pride. At least the city of Brotherly love can join Bridges in being excited about the Phillies snagging a 1-0 lead over the Astros on Friday.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
