Getty Mikal Bridges #1 of the Brooklyn Nets.
Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant could retire today and likely go down as one of the NBA’s greatest ever. Durant has gained a reputation as a “unicorn” because he was one of the first players in the NBA that could handle and shoot the ball like a guard of his size.
But Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has quickly come on as one of the brightest players in the NBA since entering the league in 2018. During a recent appearance on the “Run Your Race” podcast, former Suns star, Mikal Bridges was asked who has a “bigger bag” between Doncic and Durant, and Bridges quickly chose the Mavericks’ star.
“The mother****** who makes me switch directions every god**** dribble: Luka,” Bridges said in response.
For those who may not know, the term “bag” refers to how many moves a player has in their arsenal. And Luka’s ability to score, rebound, and create shots has earned him comparisons to Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson.
Mikal Bridges Sounds off on Kevin Durant Trade
Bridges was the centerpiece of the trade that landed Durant in Phoenix. He was an integral part of the Suns’ roster and part of the core that helped lead the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1994. After getting embarrassed in Game 7 at home by the Mavericks in 2022, Bridges says he was looking forward to running it back with the same crew for a shot at redemption.
But after Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Nets in January, Suns’ new owner Mat Ishbia pushed all his chips to the center of the table to land Durant, and Bridges got shipped to Brooklyn as a result. Although the Nets star was disappointed by the trade, Bridges says he understands why it happened.
“I thought about how nice we were going to be, with everybody was coming back. I know we’re losing me and Cam, but you get T.J., and you get KD. I feel like KD doesn’t affect the defensive end as much as me, but he can still guard and we’re all team defense anyway,” Bridges said on the “Old Man & The Three” podcast following the trade.
“So now I feel like, you know, I like them. For them, with the new owner and what they’re trying to do, it makes the most sense. I understand they’re trying to win now. Do I think the Suns still could have won with me and Cam there? For sure. But you got to do KD, man.”
Kevin Durant Talks Luka Doncic: ‘Yeah, He Nice’
Luka has become a “unicorn” in his own right because he can score, pass, and rebound at such an efficient clip. Earlier this season Durant admitted that he wasn’t a fan of Doncic’s game when he first came into the league, but it has grown on him over time.
“He plays so slow… it’s hard because he goes from slow to fast so easily and he is just so smooth with it. I love his game,” Durant said on an episode of his podcast “The ETCs”.
“At first, I didn’t, when he first came into the league because I’m like all he does is step back threes, and they be short as hell. He’s shooting like 27%-30% from the three-point line early on. I’m like this is the guy? But playing against someone I think they beat us by 40 when I was with Golden State, and he was controlling every possession, and I was like, ‘Yeah he nice.’ His game just started expanding.”
