Miles Bridges’ domestic violence suspension is up Friday and not only is he expected to play against the Bucks but he will have a “significant role” with the team from the start.
This is the Bridges who sat out all of last season and got a 30-game suspension from the NBA — only 10 of those games this season — following an arrest on domestic violence charges to which he pled no contest. After that, this October, Bridges turned himself in to authorities over multiple charges of him violating a protective order around his former girlfriend. That included an Oct. 6 incident during a custody exchange of the children, where he allegedly threw billiard balls at his former girlfriend’s car while the children were in the vehicle, Bridges’ current girlfriend kicked and hit at the same car, plus he threatened to withhold child support.
Despite all that, Bridges has been practicing with Charlotte at the team facilities and will step into a key role beginning Friday against the Bucks, Hornets coach Steve Clifford told Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
“I think he’ll be ready to play. He’s in practice every day. So he’s been well organized when he’s there,” Clifford said ahead of tipoff against the Knicks on Sunday. “He’s in really good shape. He’s worked hard. I’ll be honest, we’ve been playing every other day...
“But he [Bridges] will have a significant role right away.”
Should he? Should he even be in uniform?
The league only suspended Bridges 30 games and let Kevin Porter Jr — facing domestic violence charges — be used as salary ballast in a trade just before the season. It has made the NBA look soft on domestic violence issues.
While the CBA requires the NBA to wait for the legal process to play out, the team could step in. The Hornets have not. Bridges is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13 to answer a summons tied to a violation of the protective order from January, separate from the October incident.
“I want to apologize to everybody for the pain and embarrassment that I have caused everyone, especially my family,” Bridges said when first speaking to the media after his plea, discussing the 7.9 million qualifying offer he is playing under. “This year away I’ve used to prioritize going to therapy and becoming the best person I can be — someone that my family and everyone here can be proud of.”
His actions in October did not match those words, now the NBA will have him on the court starting Friday.
It’s not simply bad optics for the league, it’s just flat-out wrong. The NBA continues to be soft on domestic violence and that is not acceptable.
