“Learn from it young king! I’m rocking with you” - Draymond Green commends Miles Bridges for accepting responsibility after hitting a fan with his mouth guard
Players react differently to defeat. Some accept a loss peacefully, while others storm out in anger. Miles Bridges belonged to the latter group on Wednesday and was fined $50,000 by the league on Thursday. Bridges threw a mouth guard as he exited the court after being ejected.
The Charlotte Hornets lost the Nine-Ten Game 132-103 to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. The Michael Jordan-owned franchise failed to make the playoffs as they crashed out in the play-in tournament.
After being ejected midway through the fourth quarter after going after game official James Williams, Bridges left the court. A Hawks fan taunted him as he walked towards the tunnel that leads to the dressing room. Bridges threw his mouth guard in frustration at the fan but missed. The mouth guard hit a female fan instead. The Charlotte Observer reported that the female is 16 years old.
The Hornets forward shared the video and requested that he'd like to meet the lady and apologize for his actions. He admitted that his actions were unacceptable.
"Somebody, get me in contact with the young lady. That's unacceptable."
Commending Bridges for having taken "responsibility for his actions and welcoming the consequences," Draymond Green said he respects the 24-year-old. He also urged him to learn from the experience.
"I respect you taking responsibility and welcoming the consequences," Green wrote. "You are human and emotions do get the best of us sometimes. It happens to all everyone, the world just doesn't see it. Learn from it young king! I’m rocking with you!"
Miles Bridges and the Charlotte Hornets miss out on a playoff appearance
Miles Bridges, in his fourth year with the Charlotte Hornets, has never made a playoff appearance. This season could have been his first, although Charlotte would have had to win two games to earn the No. 8 seed.
The Atlanta Hawks won the Nine-Ten Game 132-103 on Wednesday and will play at Cleveland on Friday.
The Atlanta Hawks win the first leg of the Play-In Tournament over the Charlotte Hornets, 132-103.
They will travel to Cleveland for another elimination game Friday to reach the playoffs as an 8-seed.
Charlotte has made the playoffs three times in the past 18 seasons, all since the franchise was reborn in 2004-05 as the Bobcats. The last time the Hornets won a playoff series was in 2001-02, the last season before bolting to New Orleans.