NBA Star Mikal Bridges Dreams of Becoming a Second Grade Teacher

You’d think that making it as a top player in the NBA would be the ultimate dream come true, but New York Knicks star Mikal Bridges has another future in mind — he wants to become a second grade teacher!

“Basketball doesn’t go on forever,” says the 28-year-old player, who attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. “This is just the first part of my journey, so I think teacher is going to come Bridges playing up next. Trying basketball for the Knicks to do both.”

The sports star got a rare treat when he was invited to teach a second grade class at PS 134 in Brooklyn. And he loved every minute. “Their energy was just like, what got me going so fast,” says Bridges. “They got me excited … I loved second grade when I was young. 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 I just feel like I always loved second grade.”

Bridges got to lead a PE class, teach math — which is his favorite subject — and even sit in on a xylophone class.

“I don’t think teachers get enough credit,” he says. “They help us every day to become better people.”