The New York Knicks' NBA Championship win is a gift that has yet to stop giving. Mikal Bridges went live on Instagram between appearances on "Good Morning America" and "The Tonight Show," sharing hilarious insights into the Champions' locker room dynamics.
The wing praised teammate and longtime friend Landry Shamet, who made 11 of his 12 attempts from 3-point land in the Eastern Conference Finals. Last season, Bridges took to the media to explain why Shamet should have been receiving more playing time.
That didn't pan out until the Eastern Conference Finals, when New York turned to him in desperation. The new coach, though, trusted the veteran sharpshooter immensely. And Bridges, on an Instagram livestream in the wake of the Knicks' NBA Championship victory, finally got to run an official victory lap on his love for Landry.
Bridges couldn't help but spin the block on his Shamet take from last year
On his Instagram live, Bridges got to bring things full circle on his complaints to Tom Thibodeau and the media regarding the playing time of veterans like Payne and Shamet. Payne wasn't on the Knicks' championship-winning roster, but Bridges and Shamet kept the vibes going from their days on the Phoenix Suns. And the former of the two hilariously expressed his disbelief in the latter's lack of a role in last year's rotation.
"Shoutout Landry Shamet. He a savage. He didn't play last year," Bridges remarked before rhetorically asking how the sharpshooting veteran didn't play a bigger role throughout last season with plenty of words that cannot appear here.
While Shamet didn't necessarily have a fantastic NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks absolutely needed his contributions in the Eastern Conference Finals. His pair of clutch 3-pointers in overtime helped close the 22-point comeback in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the eighth of New York's 13 consecutive playoff victories.
His contract, his second straight deal for the veteran's minimum, expired as the Knicks earned the Championship at the final buzzer of Game 5. He's now a free agent, able to field offers from any other interested parties. But over the last two offseasons, he's chosen to sign with the Knicks because of his love for New York and belief that they can contend for an NBA Championship.
After getting a coach in Brown that truly believes in his abilities, though, it's probably going to take one impressive payday to lure Shamet away from the Big Apple. And even if he's offered one, Brown has already said he'll do what it takes to keep him around.
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