• Faith: Christian
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  August 30, 1996

Mikal Bridges is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the New York Knicks. He grew up in Philadelphia and attended Great Valley High School. After high school, he attended Villanova, where he played alongside current Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. He was part of two national championship teams at Villanova in 2016 and 2018.

While at Villanova, Bridges was recognized for his all-around game. He was one of three Big East Defensive Player of the Year winners for the 2016-17 season. In the 2018 season, he helped lead Villanova to a championship while winning the Julius Erving Award for the nation's best small forward. Along with Jalen Brunson, his Villanova teammate, Mikal was named first-team All-Big East. He was also named the MVP of the Big East tournament in his junior season.

Following the 2018 season, Bridges entered the NBA draft. He was drafted 10th by the Philadelphia 76ers and then traded on draft night to the Phoenix Suns. While with the Suns, he helped lead them to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played for Phoenix for nearly 5 seasons, until he was traded to Brooklyn as part of a package of players for Kevin Durant. During the off-season before the 2024-25 season, Bridges was traded to the Knicks, where he reunited with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Since joining the Knicks, he has helped the team reach the playoffs both years, including their first two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1999-2000.

Mikal Bridges' Religious Beliefs

While Mikal does not regularly talk publicly about his faith, he has made enough comments over the years for people to discover that he is a Christian. For example, after a game earlier this year, he shared that "Jesus helps me every game, every moment." It's also apparent that his time at Villanova – a Catholic university – helped shape his faith journey. He has spoken about the influence of his former Villanova Head coach, Jay Wright, noting Wright's encouragement to "be a good person." Bridges has also described his faith journey as "having a relationship" rather than being religious.

Mikal is also involved in several community/compassionate ministry activities. For example, he has worked with organizations that help single-parent households, likely in part because a single mother raised him. He is also interested in and involved with educational programs. His program, Bridges Brightest Ballers, recognizes and rewards students with game tickets, jerseys, and other items. He also spent a day as a teacher in a New York City classroom as part of a feature for The Players' Tribune. Mikal has shared that he would like to become a teacher after his NBA career ends.

Staying grounded, involved in his community, and living out his faith reveals the influence that Mikal's relationship with Jesus Christ has on his life. Perhaps his faith is best summed up by the tattoo that he has, which reads "Psalm 23." Mikal Bridges lives each day as a reflection that the Lord IS his shepherd!