Author: Monojit Mandal
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been punished for its handling of the Miles Bridges domestic abuse case. The 25-year-old striker was accused of assaulting his partner in front of their children, which led to his arrest in June 2022 in California. In November, Bridges pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic abuse. However, after a league investigation, it took until April 14, 2023 for the NBA to reveal his punishment: a 30-game suspension, with credit for 20 games, because he didn’t play this season.
Bridges was a restricted free agent in 2022-23, however, he has not signed with a team or game. As a result, when he is ready to play again, he will only miss ten games, provoking criticism that the NBA is not doing enough to combat domestic violence.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended the league’s decision. He stated that the NBA and Bridges had a “mutual agreement” that he would not play in the 2022-23 season, while Silver was cautious in stating that Bridges had not been suspended. Silver noted that crediting Bridges for 20 games toward the suspension seemed reasonable, given that he had missed a year of NBA revenue and action.
Mutual agreement
Silver made it clear that the agreement was mutual and that the league would not make an exception for Bridges. He added that the NBA talked to Bridges throughout the process and that the player understood and agreed to the conditions of the contract. Bridges was also dedicated to fulfilling his counseling and community service obligations, according to Silver.
Lost payment
Bridges will lose 30 games in salary, after missing just ten games. Bridges would miss 30 games in compensation, despite the fact that his suspension would only keep him out of 10 games if he signed a new contract.
No sign of punishment
However, if Bridges’ absence this season was supposed to be a punishment, it didn’t seem to be. He was caught laughing with players in Los Angeles in December at a game between the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets, with whom he played last season. He told the Associated Press in February that he would play again in March.