Mikal Bridges gave Knicks fans the greatest present on Christmas Day with his performance against the Spurs. The 6-foot-6 forward finished the game with a season-high 41 points en route to willing the Knicks to a 117-114 victory. However, he gave his most meaningful gifts off the basketball court. Ahead of the game, Bridges made a difference in supporting three single mothers for the holiday season.
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Following his match winning performance, a reporter asked Bridges about his charitable support. He revealed the emotional weight of being able to help those in need. He said,
“It’s good to be able to be in this position and give back. I know maybe not everyone sees it but I see it and I appreciate you.”
Mikal Brides on his charitable support for 3 single-mother families earlier this week (detailed in tweet below): “I know maybe not everyone sees it but I see it and…I appreciate you,” said Bridges, whose mother, Tyneeha Rivers, raised him as a single mom: pic.twitter.com/iVC1pyBs4u https://t.co/g7jabEjtIm
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 26, 2024
Bridges’ motivation to help single mothers comes from his upbringing during his youth. He comes from a single-mother household. His mom, Tyneeha, raised Bridges, an only child, on her own. Now that he is in a better financial situation, he strives to assist those less fortunate with the help his family couldn’t receive.
Additionally, Bridges wasn’t the only Knick to support those in need. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns joined Bridges in his effort to give gifts to single mothers as well.
Who is Mikal Bridges’ mother?
Against all the odds, Tyneeha Rivers raised Mikal to be an upstanding individual. At 19, she found out she was pregnant with Bridges. However, she didn’t waver. Instead, she stepped up to the challenge to pave the way for her son.
Tyneeha raised Mikal in West Philadelphia, which isn’t the best neighborhood to raise a child. She didn’t receive help from her parents, her father urged her to, “Figure it out.” That is exactly what she did, and she excelled tremendously.
His mother’s work ethic transferred to Bridges at an early age. He witnessed all the sacrifices and hard work she endured daily, which fueled his approach on the basketball court.
“He’d see that grind and see me working all night, and he was like, ‘Oh my god, this is hard Mom. I can’t believe you’re still going to school,'” Tyneeha said. “But it was something that was important to me that was easily transferable to him.”
Bridges is now one of the best wings in the NBA. He is currently earning $23,300,000 million this season, which is a testament to all the hardships his mother endured to help get him to where he is now.
