N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver Defends Bridges Suspension

N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday defended the weird disciplinary strategy for ahead Miles Bridges, who was suspended for 30 video games for home violence however will miss simply 10 video games through which he’s eligible to play.

Bridges, 25, was a restricted free agent however didn’t signal with a workforce or play in the course of the 2022-23 season after his arrest in California in June, when he was accused of hitting his girlfriend in entrance of their kids. He pleaded no contest to a felony home violence cost in November, however it wasn’t till April 14, after a league investigation, that the N.B.A. introduced his punishment: a 30-game suspension, with credit score for 20 video games as a result of he didn’t play this season. Typically, gamers are credited for video games solely when they’re eligible and out there to play.

On Tuesday, Silver mentioned the league and Bridges had a “mutual agreement” that he wouldn’t play in the course of the 2022-23 season — although Silver was cautious to say that Bridges was not suspended. Silver mentioned crediting Bridges for 20 video games towards the penalty appeared like the proper factor to do as a result of he missed a 12 months of revenue and N.B.A. play. The league additionally confirmed that Bridges would lose 30 video games of pay, regardless that his suspension would maintain him out of simply 10 video games if he signed a brand new contract.

But if Bridges’s absence this season was alleged to be a type of punishment, it didn’t seem that method: In December, he joked round with gamers in Los Angeles at a sport between the Lakers and Charlotte Hornets, whom he performed for final season. And in February, he instructed The Associated Press that he may return to play in March. He was sentenced to a 12 months of counseling, and neighborhood service. Representatives for Bridges didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Bridges’s punishment has been criticized by some reporters and by followers on social media.

The equity and accountability within the N.B.A.’s disciplinary course of has been referred to as into query this season after a collection of incidents through which gamers acquired totally different punishments for comparable offenses, or have been punished extra severely than they or their friends felt was honest. League officers mentioned they weigh a number of elements in meting out penalties, together with an individual’s previous habits, which can result in totally different outcomes.