Mikal Bridges spent Monday morning the way we all dream of: drinking tequila and telling the internet everything.
Two days after the Knicks claimed their first NBA championship in 53 years, Bridges went live on Instagram, visibly intoxicated, and confirmed that team owner James Dolan had issued a 10-week no-sex directive to the team prior to their big win.
"He brought n***as in and said, 'Ten weeks! Don't have any sex. Lock in!'" Bridges said on the stream. "N***a's a savage. He's a savage! He could be a bigger savage if he built a practice facility in the city. But he's still a savage."
The remark tracks with a report SNY's Ian Begley published a day earlier, which described Dolan's pre-playoff address to players as including a joking request to avoid sex for the duration of the postseason. A source told the outlet the players "were a little surprised, but the words hit."
Dolan also told the roster to settle any grievances face-to-face rather than through sideways comments to reporters, per the New York Post.
To Dolan’s credit, it seems to have worked. New York finished the postseason 16-3, including a 13-game winning streak after falling behind the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in Round 1. The run included a sweep of Philadelphia, a sweep of Cleveland, and a five-game series win over the San Antonio Spurs. The most unforgettable moment came in Game 4 of the Finals, when OG Anunoby hit a tip-in to complete a 29-point comeback.
Bridges also used the live stream to make the case for a Jalen Brunson statue outside Madison Square Garden. "Build him a statue," he said. "Build that little big-headed ass n***a a statue." Brunson, who scored 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5 and won Finals MVP, watched the stream and responded on X: "Somebody take Mikal's phone."
Bridges’ dig at the practice facility was a familiar one. The team currently trains in Westchester County, about 30 miles from MSG.
Bridges admitted he had started on tequila at 10 AM before catching himself: "It's 11 AM. What the f**k am I doing?" He then asked for another shot.
The championship parade is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, in New York.
