Charlotte Hornets forwards P.J. Washington, Gordon Hayward & Kelly Oubre Jr. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports activities)
On the transaction entrance, it’s been a comparatively quiet offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. The staff didn’t make any splashy free-agency transactions and made the obvious choose within the draft by including heart Mark Williams to the rotation. Sadly for the group, all of its noise got here from issues that had nothing to do with basketball.
Heart Montrezl Harrell, who was acquired from the Washington Wizards close to the 2022 commerce deadline, received caught with a number of vacuum-sealed luggage of marijuana whereas driving in Kentucky. Beforehand dealing with a felony drug trafficking charge, Harrell’s offense has been downgraded to a misdemeanor. Nevertheless, it stays unclear what his subsequent steps are each legally and professionally.
For as unlucky as this was, it’s a nonviolent offense that would clear up within the blink of a watch. The identical can’t be mentioned for the most important plot twist of the Charlotte Hornets’ offseason.
Charlotte Hornets F Miles Bridges is accused of violent, dishonorable crimes.
Following the most effective season of his skilled profession, Miles Bridges was charged with three felony offenses in a sinister home violence case that claims he beat his girlfriend in entrance of their kids in June 2022. As introduced by Los Angeles County District Legal professional George Gascón, the fees embody “one felony depend of injuring a baby’s father or mother and two felony counts of kid abuse underneath circumstances or situations prone to trigger nice bodily harm or dying.” ESPN reported that he pleaded not responsible to all three of the fees.
Bridges’ accomplice, Mychelle Johnson, took to social media in wake of the alleged assault to indicate her battered and bruised head together with marks alongside her face and neck. She said the next in her since-deleted Instagram put up:
“I’ve nothing to show to the world, however I gained’t permit anybody who may do one thing so horrible to don’t have any regret and paint an image of one thing I’m not. I gained’t permit the folks round him to proceed to silence me and proceed to lie to guard this particular person.”
If these allegations are confirmed true, Bridges has misplaced his place on this staff. In contrast to different skilled sports activities leagues in North America, the NBA’s tolerance for violent offenses is extraordinarily low and lots of of its followers really feel the identical means. He could be condemned and sure face an indefinite suspension — successfully costing himself a payday within the $100M+ vary this offseason.
From a uncooked, human perspective, this can be a actually unlucky and avoidable state of affairs. No household ought to must endure the emotional trauma of such actions. It’s inexcusable for a person to put his arms on a lady, however with kids concerned? It’s horrifying.
From a basketball perspective, which pales compared to the real-world ramifications, that is an sudden setback that critically damages the rebuilding in Charlotte. The free company market has dried up and the Hornets are missing the belongings wanted to make compelling commerce gives. In the interim, the Hornets want gamers presently on the roster to maintain the ship afloat.
