CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Miles Bridges was back in the building, but this was unlike anything he’d experienced.
Bridges entered the interview room inside the Spectrum Center to the clicks of cameras, trailing Charlotte Hornets team president/general manager Mitch Kupchak. They made their way up the dais to sit down side-by-side and discuss the events that happened during the past calendar year following Bridges’ arrest in Los Angeles last June and subsequent plea of no contest to felony domestic violence in November.
“First of all, I just want to apologize to everybody for the pain and embarrassment that I caused everyone, but especially my family,” Bridges said Tuesday. “This year away, I’ve used it to prioritize just going to therapy and becoming the best person I can be — someone that my family and everybody here can be proud of.
“I want to thank the NBA and the Hornets’ organization for giving me a second chance. A lot of people don’t get a second chance and I want to use this second chance just to prove to everybody that I’m the same kid that you drafted five years ago. I’m just happy to be back and I can’t wait to get this year started.”
Bridges was a restricted free agent and elected to sign the Hornets’ $7.9 million qualifying offer on July 2 — two days into free agency — after he couldn’t come to terms on a multiyear contract. Considering he hasn’t played a competitive game since Charlotte’s play-in tournament loss in Atlanta in 2022, the move comes with significant risk for Bridges.
Bringing him on board also could hurt the Hornets’ bottom line because not everyone is pleased. It’s something the organization weighed heavily, and Kupchak said had the support of everyone among the team’s hierarchy.
That includes new prospective majority owners Rich Schnall and Glabe Plotkin and soon-to-be minority owner Michael Jordan. Understanding there could be serious pushback among some fans, they all had to sign off on Bridges’ return.
“It obviously is a polarizing topic and not everyone may agree,” Kupchak said. “It’s a tough situation to be in. But we started out with the legal process in Los Angeles, worked through the legal process, worked through the NBA’s investigation, our relationship with Miles, our conversations with Miles. Remorse, accountability. And it’s the best we can do. But yes, I do understand not everyone may agree.”
As does Bridges. There’s no running from it and he’ll likely face the wrath at opposing arenas.
“People think I don’t deserve a second chance and I understand that,” Bridges said. “So that’s what I’m going to try to use this year to prove to everybody just the person I am. Who is Miles Bridges and it’s not what people think he is, you know?”
Bridges had remained silent for most of the past year, choosing not to speak on his situation. He also didn’t post much on social media until recently, which is not like him.
“I just wanted to wait to see how everything went and played out,” Bridges said. “But I don’t know, I feel like it’s better late than never to talk about it. So, I’m here now and I’m just happy to be back.”
Here are a few of the key takeaways from Bridges’ press conference:
Is Bridges a part of the Hornets’ long-term plans?
With Bridges signing a qualifying offer, the Hornets are no longer in total control of his future beyond this season. He can leave outright next summer if he wants and the team isn’t guaranteed the opportunity to match.
Kupchak seemed unfazed by the possibility at the moment and pointed to the Larry Bird rule, which gives teams the ability to exceed their salary cap in order to re-sign their own free agents.
“Upon the conclusion of the season, he will become an unrestricted free agent and he will have Bird rights,” Kupchak said. “So, in the NBA with Bird rights, that gives you an advantage when signing free agents. Beyond that, we will just have to wait and see how the season plays out.
“From a basketball point of view, putting aside the serious nature of what took place, we are excited to get him back. He had his best year ever two years ago, so we are excited to get him back. And whatever it is to deal with a year from now, we will deal with a year from now.”
Fitting in
Things are a tad bit more crowded among the Hornets’ wings since Bridges last suited up.
Besides Gordon Hayward, Charlotte also has Brandon Miller, Cody Martin and Bryce McGowens to shuffle in and out. And Bridges will surely also see some time at power forward depending on how things unfold with restricted free agent PJ Washington.
Still, he’s confident he can assimilate himself into the lineup seamlessly.
“I feel like I can still fit in,” Bridges said. “I watched a lot of games last year and I feel like we’ve gotten better. We had a worse record, but at the same time, with the players we have now, I feel like we’ve gotten better. Defensively, that’s been a big thing for us in all my years with the Hornets.
“We always haven’t been that good defensively ... But I see last year we took a step in that direction. I feel like once everybody is back and we are healthy, we could be a playoff team.”
Restoring people’s faith in him
After abandoning his teammates on the court as he sorted out his legal issues, Bridges has to do everything he can to regain their trust. And he also has a plan to restore the fans’ belief in him.
It starts with showing maturity in various forms.
“Just being a leader in the locker room again, just leading by example, and just doing the right thing,” Bridges said. “I will be around the community a lot. Not because I have to, because I want to. Being away for a year made me realize I wasn’t in the community like I should be. I have a name and people know me and kids look up to me. So, just for me to be around, I feel like it will be big for them.”
Preparing while completing suspension
Since he wasn’t under contract and missed all 82 games last season, the NBA deemed Bridges served 20 of the 30-game suspension the league handed down in April. That means he’ll be forced to sit for at least the first two weeks of the 2023-24 campaign before he’s eligible to play.
Keeping himself ready won’t be an easy task, but Bridges thinks he can do it.
“Just staying in the gym,” he said. “I still have a feel for the game. I’m the same player or even better than I was before. But just staying in the gym and being here consistently is going to help me out, being around my teammates and inspiring their games.
“I think that is going to be big for me. With this 10-game suspension, I can also see what we need to work on during those 10 games and see what I can do to come in and help.”
