Girl gets hit during NBA player’s tantrum, then things get worse for him

This is a story about a teenager and a tantrum, but with a twist.

In this version, a 16-year-old girl sat as still as at an NBA game, probably enjoying the show as the hometown Atlanta Hawks drove to the Charlotte Hornets’ 132-103 win on Wednesday.

Enter Miles Bridges from Charlotte who had just been kicked out for giving a referee his take on a goalkeeper call made against him.

As Bridges stormed into the dressing room in anger, a fan jumped up and added insults – many of them – to injuries.

Whether Bridges had much self-control left was unclear in videos of the incident, which show him hurling his mouthpiece at the taunting fan.

Miles Bridges slammed his mouthpiece into this little girl’s head and she didn’t even flinch. Boss.
pic.twitter.com/JBLoT9lYPc

– Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) April 14, 2022

But some nights you can’t even get the basic shots. Instead of the heckler, the mouthpiece hit another fan sitting nearby.

Corresponding The Charlotte Observerthe 16-year-old girl who was hit by the mouthpiece declined to give her name or be interviewed and did not know what she had been hit with until she was shown a video of the incident.

Regret came before that $50,000 fine levied against Bridges by the NBA.

“I let my temper get the best of me. That was definitely the wrong thing to do,” Bridges said after the game. “I aimed at the guy who was yelling at me and it hit a little girl.”

Someone put me in contact with the young lady. This is not acceptable.

— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) April 14, 2022

Bridges apologized the next day ESPN reported.

“I lost my calm last night because of so much happening,” Bridges said. “I don’t usually behave like this and it was embarrassing for me and the organization.”

“You should never go out like that, especially since the fans come to the game to watch you play. That their safety is in jeopardy at this point is wrong on my part. I take full responsibility.”

Bridges said he would like to apologize directly to the fan and, according to a reporter, he was able to.

I was told @MilesBridges was able to talk to the fan he hit with his mouthpiece yesterday.
They spoke on the phone. He apologized, she accepted and appreciated the effort.

Kudos to Miles for going through with his apology.

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) April 15, 2022