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Charlotte Hornets swingman Miles Bridges is known for his thunderous dunks and outstanding athletic ability. What few people don’t know is how much the fourth-year player has grown from a rookie into one of the leaders of the team.
One of the main things he is teaching the younger players of the team is being coachable.
“If your not coachable and you’re messing up right after somebody just did something. The coach does not like that,” stated Bridges.
Knowing about being coachable is something that Bridges has learned over his time in the NBA. As the only member left from head coach James Borrego’s first team in Charlotte, Bridges has seen firsthand how being coachable has turned out.
Playing with veterans such as Kemba Walker, Tony Parker, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum in his rookie year to playing on a team with Gordon Hayward last year caused Bridges to lean on his vets as mentors.
“As a rookie playing the four (power forward) behind Marvin, I learned to be professional,” stated Bridges. “Getting in extra shots in after practice, getting treatment, being coachable, always on time, [saying] yes sir this and yes sir that.”
Listening to his coaches and the veterans around him allowed Bridges to excel last season. Bridges had career highs in all of the major shooting categories as well as rebounding, assists and block shots. He was seven made free throws short of joining the 50-40-90 club, a club that has less than five players in the history of the league to have that stat line for a full season.
Not only has Bridges basketball game matured but the Michigan State alumni as a person has shown growth as well. Borrego has always mentioned Bridges’ growth on the court, but he’s also mentioned that being a father has also helped in the process as well as crediting him for being an outstanding father.
He also gives back to his community and has not forgotten where he is from. Bridges was part of the Food Lion’s Backpack for Hunger program in May and held his first annual basketball camp in Flint, Michigan in 2019.
There is so much to cheer about on the court for Miles Bridges but as a teammate and a person off the court, you can cheer for that as well.
