Mikal Bridges’ Blunt Response to Jalen Brunson Over Instagram Live Debacle

Jalen Brunson wanted Mikal Bridges' phone taken away during his Instagram live videos.

Mikal Bridges’ Blunt Response to Jalen Brunson Over Instagram Live Debacle

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges (Image credits - Firstsportz)

Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and the rest of the New York Knicks squad have been celebrating ever since they won Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks won their third championship and their first one in 53 years.

The celebrations have been nonstop, and Bridges has been at the heart of it. The Knicks forward has been streaming the celebrations through his Instagram live videos.

While Bridges has been enjoying himself by giving everyone a glimpse of the celebrations, Brunson thinks he has had enough. When asked if he had had a conversation with Bridges regarding the live streaming, Brunson said:

I texted him ‘Get off live’ and he sent back ‘no’ in all caps. I tried but he is gonna do his thing.

Jalen Brunson on Sportscenter

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges have shared a close relationship even before setting foot into the NBA. The two played together for three years in college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. They won two NCAA championships in college and have now won their first NBA championship.

The emotions have been sky-high in the city of New York. Fans were seen getting into their spots 24 hours before the championship parade, which saw nearly two million people gather for the biggest parade in the city’s history.

During the live streaming, Bridges admitted he had been celebrating with a few drinks. Hence, it is not surprising that he refused to stop streaming when Brunson asked him to.

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Becky Hammon’s statements fueled Jalen Brunson

Despite making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, many still doubted the Knicks as championship contenders with Jalen Brunson leading the team. One of them was Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon. She believed that Brunson was “too little” to lead a team to a title.

Jalen Brunson hoists his Finals MVP trophy
Jalen Brunson hoists his Finals MVP trophy (Image via Fox News Sports/X)

Mikal Bridges revealed that Brunson used those statements to fuel himself in the playoffs this year.

I appreciate (Becky Hammon), no cap. The words she said about can’t win with (Jalen Brunson) being a ‘1A’, ‘1B’, ‘he too little’, all that did is fuel that n***** bro…He know what she said.

Mikal Bridges in his Instagram live stream

Brunson responded strongly to his critics with his performances in the playoffs this year. He was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP. In the Finals, he averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in five games. He scored 45 points in the close-out game to seal the championship.

Mikal Bridges’ live stream gets praise from Karl-Anthony Towns

Mikal Bridges’ live stream was as unfiltered as it gets. From revealing that Knicks owner James Dolan gave the players a 10-week no-intimacy rule to giving a nickname to Victor Wembanyama and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, the live stream had it all.

However, fans watching the stream enjoyed watching what he had to say, including his teammates. While Brunson asked Bridges to stop recording, Towns was having a good time and took to his social media to comment on the live stream. He tweeted:

All-Time great IG Live from Mikal Bridges.

Karl-Anthony Towns on X

When Bridges was traded to the Knicks in 2024 for multiple players and picks, questions were raised about whether he was worth all those assets. Last year, he signed a four-year $150 million contract, which brought in some criticism as well.

However, in the end, Bridges and the Knicks have achieved their goal of winning the NBA championship. He has been one of the best two-way players and has not missed a single game in his two seasons for the Knicks so far.

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