Miles Bridges missed the entirety of the 2022-23 NBA season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence. Entering an offseason last summer in which he was set to become one of the highest paid player on the Charlotte Hornets, Bridges was arrested in Los Angeles after being accused to beating the mother of his two children in front of them.

As part of his plea deal, Bridges will be on probation for three years but he has not and will not serve any jail time. There was a lot of discussion around the league on whether or not the former first-round pick should be allowed back and the NBA announced in April that Bridges would be suspended for 30 total games upon his return. However, the league has determined that him missing the entirety of last season will count as 20 games for his suspension, meaning he will only miss ten games to begin the 2023-24 season.

Signing a one-year qualifying offer with the Hornets this offseason, Bridges was reintroduced by the team on Tuesday and he opened up about his year-long absence from the NBA for the first time.

“I apologize to everyone for the pain and embarrassment I caused to everyone, but especially my family,” Bridges stated, via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “This year away, I've used it to prioritize just going to therapy and becoming the best person I can be. Someone that my family and everyone here can be proud of. I want to thank the Hornets organization and the NBA for giving me a second chance.

“A lot of people don't get a second chance and I want to use this just to prove to everyone that I'm the same kid that you drafted five years ago. I'm just happy to be back and I can't wait to get this year started.”

There is no denying that Bridges is a great basketball player and heading into last offseason, he was very deserving of seeing a big contract. Recent events and his actions off the floor though now cloud his character and NBA future, as the 25-year-old forward has a lot to prove about himself over the course of the next year. His comments and owning up to his horrific actions are definitely a step in the right direction, but at the end of the day, Bridges still has to earn the trust of those close to him and those around the NBA.

Last playing in 80 games during the 2021-22 season with the Hornets, Bridges averaged 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor.

Next to All-Star guard LaMelo Ball, he emerged as the team's second-best scoring weapon. With the Hornets looking to take a step forward during the 2023-24 season, they will likely turn to Bridges again for immediate production on that end of the floor.