The intense scrutiny on him, given the five first-round picks the Knicks traded to the Nets to acquire him.
asserted
Knicks → give → him
The immense pressure to live up to the price the Knicks paid.
asserted
Knicks → live → price
The heavy criticism when fans felt he was underachieving and not worthy of that price.
asserted
he → feel → price
“I got a phone,” Bridges said after practice Wednesday.
asserted
Bridges → got → practice
“Even if I don’t want to see it or anything, it’s always there.
asserted
it → want → it
That’s just life.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
People talk about anything and that’s all right, you just gotta go about your business.
asserted
you → talk → business
People can think however they want to think, I just know that I’m gonna work hard and try to be the best teammate that I can be and best player that I can be and continue to try and help win as much as I can.”
asserted
I → think → ?
A championship should put to bed any debate over the trade.
asserted
championship → put → trade
It should validate the deal, given how important Bridges was throughout the playoffs.
asserted
Bridges → validate → playoffs
It should bring long-awaited — and much-deserved — recognition from fans.
asserted
It → bring → fans
“F–k them picks” became a rallying cry among those fans after the championship regarding the Bridges trade, one he even repeated after they clinched the title, saying, “You talking about f–k them picks?
asserted
You → f → picks
I’m still here.”
asserted
I → ’m → ?
It feels like entering his third season with the Knicks, fan sentiment around him should be at an all-time high.
asserted
sentiment → feel → high
But does he actually now feel fully appreciated by Knicks fans?
asserted
he → appreciate → fans
“I don’t know,” Bridges said.
asserted
Bridges → know → ?
“I’m not sure about that.
asserted
I → ’m → that
Can just say that I’m appreciative of fans.
asserted
I → say → fans
If I see them when I’m walking my dog or something like that, just a lot of nice things to say.
asserted
I → see → things
That’s foremost, kind of more like a human on human interaction, just very nice and grateful to be in this position.
asserted
That → ’ → position
I don’t need to feel like there’s validation and there’s like, ‘OK, now he can…’
asserted
he → need → ?
No, I hold myself accountable at all times.”
asserted
myself → hold → times
Looking back, Bridges has an important perspective about the scrutiny and the pressure and the criticism.
asserted
Bridges → look → scrutiny
He believes they brought out the best in him.
asserted
they → believe → him
“That’s the thing that I do love about this organization and the fans, even though some might be a little more crazy than others, they want the best out of you,” Bridges said.
uncertain
Bridges → ’ → you
“I never take that for granted.
asserted
I → take → that
I talk to myself a lot when I go through a lot of things and I got people that help me as well, but that’s one thing that I do take from it, is that they get the best out of me.
asserted
they → talk → me
When I’m struggling and I know I gotta be better, I can’t hide from it sometimes — even though I know internally, the people let me know as well.
asserted
me → struggle → it
As much as you get frustrated about it, the only thing it does is drive me and I continue to try and get better.
asserted
I → frustrate → me
I’m always appreciative of it.
asserted
I → ’m → it
Bridges may not necessarily say so himself, but having proven his critics wrong and with tangible evidence of a championship to illustrate his worth, there could be a freeing feeling where there is less weight on his shoulders.
uncertain
critics → say → shoulders
What’s happening on and off the Garden court
Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.
asserted
happening → happen → Sports+
Thank you
He has already helped deliver the prize that was mandated when the Knicks gave up so much for him.
asserted
Knicks → thank → him
Perhaps it can bring out an even better version of Bridges.
asserted
it → bring → Bridges
Maybe it can help Bridges elevate to an All-Star level for the first time in his career.
asserted
Bridges → help → career
“It definitely can be freeing,” coach Mike Brown said Wednesday.
asserted
Brown → say → ?
“It can definitely help with the validation that every human being looks for in life or in whatever they do.
asserted
they → help → whatever
But at the end of the day, everybody has a short-term memory.
asserted
everybody → have → memory
It’s ‘what can you do for me lately?’
asserted
you → ’ → me
Nobody can ever take that away from any of us because we were all a part of it.
asserted
we → take → it
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
