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Michigan State Basketball: Miles Bridges has chance to be Spartan legend

By Connor Muldowney

Jan 29, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) reacts to a play during the first half of a game against the Michigan Wolverines at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 29, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) reacts to a play during the first half of a game against the Michigan Wolverines at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Miles Bridges has a chance to do something for Michigan State basketball that hasn’t been done in nearly two decades.

Magic Johnson did it. Mateen Cleaves did it. However, guys like Shawn Respert, Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green and Denzel Valentine couldn’t get it done. What is “it”? Leading Michigan State basketball to a national title.

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While guys like Lucas, Green and Valentine all made Final Fours, they could never finish the job. All were considered team captains, without the label, and really embodied what it meant to be a Spartan. However, they just couldn’t finish the job and bring home a third title to East Lansing.

If any of those three won a national championship during their four years, they’d be considered Michigan State legends.

Miles Bridges now has a chance to do something in two years that those three, plus Respert, couldn’t do in four. Announcing his return to the Spartans, he now has a chance to become a Spartan legend and lead a talented Michigan State team to the promised land.

By announcing his sophomore return, Bridges already became a legend in the eyes of some. Magic Johnson was in the same situation back in 1977-78, but decided to come back for his sophomore year because of ‘unfinished business’ and led the Spartans to their first ever national title in 1979.

Magic now has a statue outside the Breslin Center.

Could Miles be next? Before you say it’s unreasonable to even consider Miles that caliber of player, just remember that Magic had the type of polarizing impact that Bridges currently does. The team goes as he does and they feed off his energy. He’s a natural leader who is anything but selfish.

Not many college kids could say ‘no’ to millions of guaranteed dollars in the NBA just to come back and try to win a title with his friends and say it’s “for the fans.”

Related Story: 5 things that may happen due to Miles Bridges' return

Believe it or not, Bridges has a chance to become the latest legendary Flintstone and potentially earn a spot on Spartan basketball’s Mount Rushmore.

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