"We gotta break that Villanova sh*t up" - Mikal Bridges' former teammate humorously reveals Knicks trade news flipped the script during training

It was a huge moment in this year's offseason when the New York Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, positioning him to play with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo from Villanova. Hilariously, Bridges' former Nets teammate, Dorian Finney-Smith, mentioned how their dynamic changed after the trade became official.

The two forwards were teammates for two seasons in Brooklyn as Finney-Smith was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Kyrie Irving. Initially, Mikal Bridges had conversations with him regarding the outlook of the upcoming season during training. However, that immediately changed when the Knicks forward was moved.

His comments were shared by Brooklyn Nets beat reporter Erik Slater on X, formerly known as "Twitter."

"We was meeting up at the gym," Finney-Smith said. "Actually, we still kept training together the next two days after the trade happened. So, we went from, 'What we gonna do next year?' to 'We about to kick ya'll a*s.' We got to break that Villanova s*** up."

With four teammates who formed a strong chemistry during their days playing for the Villanova Wildcats, Dorian Finney-Smith joked about the mission of breaking their bond.

During his last season in Brooklyn, Bridges posted 19.6 points (43.6% shooting, including 37.2% from beyond the arc) and 4.5 rebounds per game.

---

Mikal Bridges talks about landing with the New York Knicks

There is a lot of optimism surrounding the New York Knicks in this coming regular season. They finished the previous season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, which eventually led to a second-round exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers and several injuries to key players.

With the acquisition of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby's contract extension and Julius Randle's expected return, Knicks fans eagerly await how all the pieces will look and fit together.

This was the same sentiment from Bridges, who was ecstatic about the opportunity, as per ESPN's Chris Herring.

"It's surreal," Bridges said. "Coming here, it makes me feel like a young kid again, with all the memories. When I think about basketball when I was young, and the old school, it was always the Knicks. That's what you think about. MSG. The New York song. All that stuff."

Mikal Bridges highlighted a level of nostalgia associated with playing for the iconic franchise in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd. There are 30 teams in the NBA and the New York Knicks are arguably one the biggest franchises given its rich and extensive history.

With an added scorer alongside Randle and Brunson, it creates a new dynamic in the Eastern Conference.