Knicks' Mikal Bridges Chasing History With Perfect Attendance

If the best ability is availability, New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges is the best in the league. As it stands, Bridges is the only current player with 500+ consecutive games under his belt, and he is chasing some records as we speak.

At the moment, Bridges' consecutive games have put him just behind James Donaldson's 11th-place all-time record at 586, a streak he will pass with the Knicks' Christmas Day game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bridges has never missed a game in an NBA career that began with the Phoenix Suns in 2018.

Praise for Bridges

Dec 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Bridges' "Iron Man" reputation in the NBA is a gift to the team and coach Mike Brown, who recently praised Bridges' for his league-leading resilience.

“He takes care of his body. He does a great job taking care of his body,” Brown said, via Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “I don’t know what his sleep patterns are like, but I know that he works extremely hard with his preparation. And when you work as hard as he does with your preparation, usually good things happen. And then probably got good genes. So thanks mama.”

Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson recently described Bridges as a "psychopath."

“He takes care of his body. He works tremendously hard,” Brunson said. “He’s a psychopath when it comes to his craft. So he’s really locked in with everything he needs to do to make sure he’s ready. And that’s just who he’s been since I’ve met him.”

How Does He Do It?

Dec 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward Mikal Bridges (25) shoots the ball in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

For his part, Bridges chalked his success up to the care and keeping of his body, which he accomplishes with a consistent routine. This season, Bridges is averaging 17 points per game (third on the team behind Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns), 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Bridges is also second on the team in steals and blocks per game, with 1.7 and 1 respectively.

“I take advantage of the cold tubs, always get a massage before the game, the stretcher routine and everything,” Bridges said. “I think it’s just being consistent with it. It’s a long season with a lot of emotions going on. People tend to stop doing all the things. I just try to be consistent all the time and continue to do all the things that are going to get me prepared for the game.”

Bridges put up 15 points in the Knicks' recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their Christmas Day home game will hopefully be a return to form, as they maintain a stunning 14-2 record at MSG.

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