Mountaineers in the Pros
Miles McBride Excels in Opportunity as Starter for Knicks
Miles McBride had one his best games of the season on Thursday night for the Knicks as they beat the Bulls 113-111 in a rare opportunity as a starter. The normal sixth man scored 23 points in 42 minutes.
He connected on 9-of-19 shots from the field 5-of-12 from three while also adding six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
a BIG time performance from 2️⃣💪
23 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/Exntk5wfHY
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 21, 2025
But McBride’s big performance wasn’t his biggest win of the week.
For as much as Miles McBride helps the Knicks win on the court, his off the court win is his best one yet. McBride is going to be a father for the first time, his girlfriend and fellow former WVU athlete announced on Instagram.
Ana Zortea, a former Mountaineer in her own right as a swimmer, posted a series of images with McBride and pictures of a sonogram of the baby.
McBride’s child will be proud watching his or her daddy play high-level minutes as a spark off the bench for New York. He entered Thursday averaging 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Despite dealing with some injuries, McBride’s season has already been historic from a personal perspective on the court as well.
McBride reached 1,000 career points while contributing to the Knicks’ 145-118 win over the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 25.
The 2024-25 season marks McBride’s fourth NBA year after wrapping up a successful college career with WVU.
McBride capped off his third NBA season for the Knicks in May, falling to the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the Eastern Conference semifinals. McBride saw increased play, including starting during the playoffs. McBride averaged 8.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 68 regular season games and 11.0 points on 44% shooting in 26.7 minutes per contest in the playoffs.
In December 2023, McBride signed a $13 million extension with the Knicks over the next three years. The Knicks traded away several players throughout the season, allowing McBride to pick up more minutes in the rotation.
McBride played two seasons at West Virginia from 2019-21, leading the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament appearance during his sophomore year. McBride averaged 15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game at WVU.
Note: McBride’s fellow WVU alum Jevon Carter did not play in the game for the Bulls. He was out via a coach’s decision.
Find more coverage of Miles McBride in the NBA at WV Sports Now.
