If Mikal Bridges’ apparent feelings toward Tyrese Haliburton are any indication, he’ll fit right in with the New York Knicks and their fans.
Bridges seemed to take offense at a post-Olympic tweet from the Indiana Pacers star, who proudly showed off his gold medal despite limited playing time in the U.S. men’s national team’s 98-87 win over France on Saturday. Haliburton captioned his tweet, “When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A.”
Bridges didn’t appreciate this, responding with “I hate this” on his Instagram story, accompanied by emojis of a ninja and three crying faces.
Bridges might be playing up his new metropolitan status, as Haliburton is one of Manhattan’s biggest rivals after his Pacers ended the Knicks’ season in last spring’s Eastern Conference Semifinals.
For those seeking a personal motive, it’s worth noting that Bridges was left off the Olympic roster after representing the U.S. in last summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup. While Bridges and fellow Knicks/Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were not invited back, Haliburton and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) were the only two players retained.
Despite the men’s team winning their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, their run in Paris was not without controversy, particularly regarding head coach Steve Kerr’s distribution of playing time.
Haliburton, for instance, played in only three games and did not see any action in the gold medal game or the tight semifinal victory over Serbia two days earlier. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed two games, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Jrue Holiday (Boston), and Derrick White (Boston) each sat out one game.
American regulars stepped up for the United States on Saturday: Stephen Curry (Golden State) scored the final of his 24 points with a last-minute dagger, and LeBron James (LA Lakers) recorded a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.
