Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and a basketball brotherhood forged by competition

Josh Hart, on behalf of Mikal Bridges, has been collecting receipts.

When the latters New York Knicks tenure got off to a rocky start, it was Hart who would passionately simmer down any concerns presented about his teammate.

It was Hart who would gladly go on the Told you so! victory lap when Bridges would play well.

As Bridges remained even-keeled, never showing publicly that his early-season struggles coupled with the expectations of jumping from the Brooklyn Nets to the Knicks were getting to him, Hart was permeating the emotion that Bridges wasnt.

Advertisement Because thats my brother, Hart said after Bridges 41-point Christmas Day performance about why he always felt the need to go to bat so hard for his teammate.

I know what he can do, I know his mindset.

People got to realize not one player in this league plays a great game all 82 games.

There are peaks and valleys ...

thats why you try to stay even-keeled.

He did that.

Hes a guy who put the work in, and when you see a guy put the work in, you know what hes capable of, the character he has.

We knew it was just a matter of time before he found it.

And now that he found (it), yall are not saying nothing.

Get your damn apology forms out.

Ill be collecting them next game.

Give him his flowers because hes playing well.

Let the flowers be as loud as the hate.

Together, the two Knicks wings are playing tremendous basketball.

The concerns about Bridges should have stopped well before he gifted the New York faithful bucket after bucket on Christmas.

Hart, meanwhile, is in the midst of, arguably, the best season of his career.

The man who was worried how hed fit in with the new-look Knicks after a subdued preseason is nearly averaging a double-double.

GO DEEPER Josh Hart is no longer 'lost' on the Knicks.

In fact, he's 'more confident than ever' The two appear to have a good relationship, if that wasnt clear from Hart being protective of Bridges.

However, that wasnt always the case.

Hart and Bridges also were teammates at Villanova from 2014-17, and the same relentlessness you see Hart lay on opponents is what Bridges had to deal with as a redshirt freshman.

He was a bully when I first got to campus, Bridges, the younger of the two by almost 18 months, said, half jokingly.

I had nothing wrong with him.

He didnt like me at the beginning.

There might have been a little fear of a 6-6 lanky kid who was looking pretty solid.

I think he had a little fear factor.

Ever since that, weve been closer.

Advertisement Hart admitted that it wasnt personal toward Bridges; he just didnt like freshmen.

The friction was rooted in the fact that Hart didnt and still doesnt like to practice.

Bridges, along with the other youngsters in the Wildcats program, would need more teaching than the older players.

Theres just a process, especially at Villanova.

Theres the Villanova way, and the freshmen, they dont know that, Hart said.

They got to try and figure it out.

For me, Im just like, Lets keep it moving.

You dont want people slowing up the process.

Im the same way with rookies.

Im just a little more tempered.

I have kids now.

To get the sophomore to practice the way he played in games, Villanova and former Knicks teammate Ryan Arcidiacono told The Athletic that coaches would have to intentionally push Harts buttons.

Wildcats assistant coach Ashley Howard said the staff would have to talk trash to Hart in order to get him engaged.

Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright would challenge him separately in ways that you cant say in an interview.

Bridges started his college career on the scout team and would be matched up against Hart.

He ended up being the target of Harts aggressive energy directed toward the coaches.

Josh use to terrorize Mikal early on, Howard told The Athletic.

Mikal wasnt physically where he eventually got, and Josh is Josh.

The Josh Hart you guys see now, he was that from Day 1.

He was fierce, tough, nasty and a competitor.

Low and behold, what ends up happening is that you get a Mikal Bridges who is a young freshman and was committed the whole year to improving his body, doing skill work and watching film.

His game day was practice.

His game day was against Josh Hart, this dude who we all knew was the toughest and nastiest on the floor.

He made Mikal better.

Advertisement Bridges would get the better of Hart, too.

Even back then, his windmill arms and defensive instincts would sometimes block the shot of Hart.

However, that just annoyed Hart even more.

Anytime Josh got his shot blocked and there was a change of possession, the next time Mikal got the ball, whether it was on the break or chasing him down or within the half court, it was like big brother versus little brother, Villanova assistant coach Mike Nardi said.

Josh tried to send a message.

We all believe that helped lead to Mikal becoming who he is.

They were competing every single day.

Those instances proved Villanova had something in Bridges.

Now theyre going at it, Howard said.

Were looking at it like, Damn! We know Josh Hart is one of the best players in the country, so we know that if Mikal can guard him and make it hard for him, Mikal must be really good.

It means we have a pretty good team here.

Bridges and Hart were national champions at Villanova in 2016, and Bridges added a second title as a member of the 2018 team.

Today, the duo, along with OG Anunoby, is part of one of the NBAs best group of wings.

Theyve adopted the name Wing Stop, but Hart has been lobbying for the nickname Wingy Hut Jr., which is a play on a fictional Bikini Bottom restaurant in the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants.

The trio make up the ultimate supporting cast for the Jalen Brunson/Karl Anthony Towns-led offense, which ranks second in the NBA.

Its the play of Hart, Bridges and Anunoby that brings the stability while the two stars fluctuate between MVP-level performances.

Defensively, the trio, along with coach Tom Thibodeau, largely has been responsible for the Knicks climbing up the defensive rankings over the past few weeks.

The irony in the competitive friction between Bridges and Hart early in their college days is that as time has gone on, their games are similar.

Both move well without the ball.

Both take pride on the defensive end.

Both like to talk on the court .

Seeing them as teammates at this level, its easy to envision how the two might have clashed on campus when guarding each other.

Advertisement At the time, though, neither could have known those heated duels would prepare them for this: a chance to turn a tortured basketball city back into champions together.

Back then, they were just trying to do what it takes to win at the highest level in college, which they did.

Hart and Bridges went through the gantlet together when few were watching.

It made them better players and better friends in the process.

Iron sharpens iron, Howard said.

Mikal knew he had to bring it once Josh was locked in, or hed get run through.

Now theyre running through the NBA together.

Required Reading (Top photo of Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart: Christian Petersen / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.