By For aspiring basketball players, the NBA represents the pinnacle of their dreams, a shining beacon of success and recognition. From the time they first pick up a basketball, they envision themselves dribbling down the court, making that game-winning shot in front of thousands of roaring fans. The NBA is not just a league; it’s a symbol of achievement, a platform where talent meets opportunity on the grandest stage.
The journey is arduous, filled with obstacles and setbacks, but the dream persists, driving them forward with unwavering determination. The ones who make it spend countless hours honing their skills, pushing themselves to the limit and always hold on to vision of playing under the brightest lights in basketball.
For, Mikal Bridges, a superstar on the Brookyn Nets, however. He had another dream, and recently he finally got to fulfill it.
“My other dream was being a second grade teacher,” the small forward told CBS News. “I think just helping kids has always been a big thing of mine.”
Why second grade? “Because I loved second grade when I was young,” he said. “I feel like that was one of the years I really remember. Just having a great year. I had a great teacher named Ms. Porter and just I feel like I always loved second grade.”
Growing up in Philadelphia, Bridges was inspired by Ms. Porter to follow that dream. He got to do that this month at PS 134 in Brooklyn, where he worked as a teacher for the day.
The Nets got in around 1:30 a.m. the night before, after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-101. The player had a long night, but he was committed to teaching those kids.
View this post on Instagram
The New York Post wrote that Bridges visited with the children for lunch and recess before playing the role of teacher for his favorite class–math.
“Math came easy to me. I feel like I was probably one of the smartest math kids in our class,” Bridges told the newspaper and adding that as a kid, he’d help other students. “I’ll try to teach them. Like, ‘Oh, this is how I learned it and it’s pretty simple to me this way. Just think of this way.’”
For the lesson, the NBA star gave the children a basketball-related math problem. He closed out the day by sharing his appreciation for teachers.
“A lot of days, we’re in school,” he said. “And we’re with our teachers and I think they just don’t get enough credit. Because we’re around them a lot, you know what I’m saying. And they help us become better people every day. And I think some are overlooked a little bit.”
Bridges will likely sign a contract extension soon worth nearly a quarter billion dollars, but the money will pale in comparison to the joy of helping grade schoolers learn.
