Traded

Like most of the world, I was stunned when the Phoenix Suns traded two of its fan favorites, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, in the middle of the night to the Brooklyn Nets. Getting superstar Kevin Durant in return, it was a great move on paper for the Suns but I went into full meltdown.The grief over losing these bright lights broke my heart and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.

Surrendering into a puddle of tears, I finally figured out why: I, like them, had been traded away with little notice. Mikal Bridges heard about it on FaceTime from a friend at 1 a.m.. When my ex love ended our 5+ year relationship, it was in a brief call that he cut off abruptly so we never really talked about it. He just said he was “experimenting” with someone new that he met as I was moving to Maui. I’ll spare you the gory details but it was the shock and speed that threw me for a loop, more than the news itself, and I never got the closure I thought I needed.

Seeing Mikal and Cam in their interviews took me back to that confusing, turbulent time. Cam wrote a Bible verse on his Instagram, and both did their best to find the meaning and silver linings in the abrupt change. I’d done the same.

We were in a Marriott by the airport, awaiting our flight to Maui for a pre-planned vacation. Barely talking, we decided to take the trip despite our relationship unraveling and lack of constructive communication. There was plenty of hostility from him and tears from me but neither of us wanted to back out. On the last night in the hotel, he asked if he could watch basketball with the sound off. I said, “if you’re gonna watch, turn it up, as I love basketball too.” It always reminded me of the Sweet 16 with my dad growing up.

That night, the Suns played and I was hooked. They had heart, soul, team spirit, chemistry, and no one superstar got all the thunder. True underdogs, it was love at first sight, and I’ve been following them ever since. I bought the T-shirts, watched their near victory in the 2021 playoffs, and have been true Valley fan ever since.

But, after the trade, I started following Bridges and Johnson instead. I watched Mikal shoot his first 45-basket game and step out of the shadows on his new team. Almost instantly, they started calling him “Brooklyn Bridges,” which he loves and "says, “it fits”. And Cam continues to impress with his 3-pointers and consistency. They are The Twins, they are together, and they are bright lights - bringing heart, soul, and positive energy to the Nets now.

Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson

Sometimes you gotta leave a team, a home, or a man you love so much because they’ve decided to trade you in. And after the shock wears off, you discover that life on the other side is brighter - not because of them - but because of who you’ve become without them.

So I’m on Maui now and he’s off “exploring” with the new woman. I got traded like The Twins but I’ve never been happier. And while I still miss my old team mate, I know I’m the light and I gotta shine bright!