The league announced Friday the suspension of NBA forward Miles Bridges, who pleaded not to contest a domestic violence offense in the fall, for 30 games. Bridges, 25, played for the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons before he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their children last June. He was not under contract during the 2022-23 regular season and did not appear in any games.
The prosecution initially charged him with several crimes of domestic violence and child abuse, although they did not name the victims. The NBA said it would conduct its own investigation.
The association said it had consulted with experts on domestic violence, interviewed witnesses and people involved, and reviewed materials as part of its investigation. It has been nearly 10 months since Bridges was arrested, and more than five months since he was sentenced. Mike Bass, a spokesman for the NBA, said the league “took the necessary time” to ensure the investigation was “thorough”.
Bridges was arrested in Los Angeles on June 29. Around that time, Michael Johnson, a former college basketball player with two children from Bridges, posted photos to Instagram showing what appeared to be bruises and other injuries on her body. She did not mention Bridges and the post was later deleted. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, in a press release, charged Bridges with causing “gross bodily injury.” After filing a no objection to a domestic violence offense in November, Bridges was sentenced to probation and 100 hours of community service and ordered to attend counseling and parenting classes. The ruling also included a 10-year restraining order for the victim and weekly drug tests for Bridges.
Bridges was a rising star before his arrest, which came on the eve of free agency. He was a restricted free agent expected to receive a max contract from Charlotte worth approximately $173 million. The Hornets had made a qualifying bid for Bridges the day before his arrest. If he does not sign it, and the team does not draft it, he remains a restricted free agent. Charlotte did not answer a question from The New York Times about the status of Bridges’ contract, but said in a statement that “the investigation and judgment are the expected next steps in the process” and the team would not comment further at this time. Kloch, the agency representing Bridges, did not respond to a request for comment.
The NBA credits Bridges with 20 games of his suspension because he did not play this season. Bridges Attended the Hornets game against the Lakers in Los Angeles in December, which wouldn’t have been allowed if he had been suspended. In February, Bridges told The Associated Press during a Michigan State men’s basketball game that he may come back to the NBA in March.
NBA Collective bargaining agreement It states that a conviction is not required to violate the league’s policy on domestic violence. It empowers Commissioner Adam Silver, based on the outcome of the investigation, to “fine, suspend, disqualify, or disqualify a ‘player’ from any further association with the NBA” for violating the policy.
There have been several notable suspensions in the NBA this season.
In September, the Boston Celtics suspended head coach Aim Udoka for the season for violating team policy by having an affair with a subordinate, according to two people who were not authorized to discuss the punishment publicly. Then they fired him in February, according to a person not authorized to comment publicly.
In November, the Nets suspended Kyrie Irving indefinitely after he shared an anti-Semitic film on Twitter and repeatedly refused to disavow anti-Semitism. He missed eight games. He was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks after negotiations for a contract extension broke down.