CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was expected to be in court on Monday morning after allegedly violating a protection order. Instead, he practiced one-on-one with the rest of the team.
Bridges is set to make a comeback at Friday’s game at the Spectrum Center against the Milwaukee Bucks.
He received a 30-game suspension after he was charged and sentenced for another domestic violence incident in 2022. However, only 10 of those games carried over into 2023.
Last month, Channel 9 gathered court documents that revealed Bridges had continued to contact the mother of his children through social media, as well as threw pool balls at her car while his children were inside.
Despite facing legal troubles and charges that he violated a protective order, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said Bridges will have a “significant role” on the team when he returns to the court.
So far, the team has not taken any additional action against Bridges, and criticism is beginning to mount against the NBA.
Some fans have expressed concerns that the way the organization handles domestic violence cases is too lenient.
“I think he should not be on the team,” fan Makayla Bonds said.
“If players see that 30-game suspension, then players can say, ‘I can do that,’” fan Alyx Kobiela said.
On Thursday, the Charlotte Hornets said in a statement: “Miles Bridges is eligible to return to our active roster on Friday after serving his NBA suspension. We are comfortable with Miles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of the recent allegations and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds through the court process.”
Miles Bridges’ attorney told Channel 9 that Monday’s hearing was simply an administrative session in which defendants do not appear.
(WATCH BELOW: New online court system not to blame for leaked Miles Bridges’ criminal summons, county says)
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