The New York Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, and the entire city is absolutely losing its mind—in the best way possible! The vibes are immaculate and the fans are dreaming big. So, what does the Knicks’ own social media team decide to do amidst all this high-stakes playoff pressure? Drop an Instagram post so hilarious that it had the players themselves, and the entire Knicks community in stitches.

The team’s official social media account posted a slideshow of throwback photos featuring some of the key players. We’re talking adorable childhood pics of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, Precious Achiuwa, and even rookies like Tyler Kolek, Miles “Deuce” McBride, Landry Shamet, and Pacôme Dadiet. The caption was a perfect chef’s kiss: “When you say the Knicks are going to the Eastern Conference Finals, this is who you’re talking about.” It was a great way to show the journey, the human side of these hoop warriors. But then came the last image.

The grand finale of this wholesome throwback post was a picture of a teenage Mikal Bridges that can only be described as a fashion crime scene of epic proportions. Picture this: Mikal, probably in a Wawa, rocking a red “King of Prussia Patriots” basketball jersey (No. 52, naturally), over what appears to be blue and red plaid pajama shorts. But wait, there’s more! He’s got black compression leg sleeves, rainbow-colored athletic shoes that look like they were sponsored by a unicorn, a black sleeve on one arm, a white sleeve on the other, and to top it all off? A turquoise and red beanie featuring some kind of cartoon character. It was a look so spectacularly out there, so hilariously mismatched, it instantly became legendary.

The players themselves couldn’t help but react, and their comments were gold. Mikal Bridges, the man immortalized in that fashion disaster, jumped into the comments with a simple, yet perfect, “I hate yall lol.” You could almost hear him laughing and cringing at the same time. His teammate, Precious Achiuwa, was equally floored by Mikal’s throwback, commenting, “Nah that last flic is ill 😷 😂💀💀.”

Honestly, seeing that picture of Mikal makes his transformation into the absolute dude he is for these Knicks even more impressive. This is the guy who, after a regular season where his offense was sometimes a bit passive, has turned into an “unstoppable force” in these playoffs, as some are calling him.

He was brilliant against the Celtics, averaging nearly 15 points a game and hitting huge shots in the fourth quarter – 34 total points in fourth quarters in that series, shooting 60% from the field! So yeah, while Mikal might “hate” the Knicks’ social team for digging up that fashion catastrophe, you can bet every Knicks fan is loving the player he’s become – a key reason they’re still dancing. That picture? It’s just going straight into the Knicks fan hall of fame.

Mikal’s fit check: failed (but fans are LOVING it)

The sheer audacity of the Knicks’ social media manager to hit “post” on that last slide had fans in absolute disbelief and stitches. One commenter perfectly summed up what everyone was thinking: “please…. why this pic of Mikal LMAOOO” And they weren’t the only one. Another fan, clearly feeling Mikal’s pain (while probably wheezing with laughter), chimed in with the classic: “Nah they did Bridges dirty 😭😭😭😭😭”

You really can’t blame them! That outfit was a masterpiece of “what was he thinking?!” – It’s the kind of photo that makes you wonder if Mikal lost a serious bet, or if he was just operating on a fashion wavelength none of us could comprehend back then. Either way, “dirty” is putting it mildly; it was a public service announcement about how not to get dressed.

But here’s the thing, amidst all the roasting, some fans instantly recognized the accidental genius, the sheer legend status of that photo, especially given the very specific, very East Coast setting. One fan just knew: “Mikal at Wawa is a legendary pic.” For anyone not in the know, Wawa (convenience store chain) is basically a sacred institution on the East Coast, especially around Philly where Mikal balled out for Villanova and won two national championships. So, the image of a future NBA star, a guy now helping lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals, just casually strolling through a Wawa looking like he got dressed with his eyes closed and just grabbed whatever was on the floor? It’s hilariously relatable and instantly iconic.

While Mikal’s picture stole the show, the overall post, celebrating the team’s journey to the ECF, definitely had fans in their feelings about this squad’s potential, especially their leader, Jalen Brunson. One passionate fan summed up the belief in their star point guard: “Brunson was built in a lab to bring the Knicks a championship”

And honestly, watching Brunson operate in these playoffs, it’s hard to argue. The dude has been a cold-blooded killer, hitting big shot after big shot, leading the Knicks with a poise and toughness that just screams “champion.”

He’s not just putting up numbers; he’s instilling a belief in this team and this city that they can beat anyone. That kind of “built different” energy is exactly what you need when you’re trying to end a 25-year drought and bring a title back to the Mecca. With the Indiana Pacers up next, a team that gave the Knicks a tough seven-game series last year, Knicks fans are counting on Jalen Brunson to keep playing like he was engineered for these moments.