CHARLOTTE, N.C. ā Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been denied entrance to Canada due to his past legal problems and will not be available to play Monday night in Toronto against the Raptors, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person said Bridges was turned away at the border. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly on the matter.
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Hornets coach Steve Clifford would not comment on the reason for Bridgesā absence when he spoke to reporters before Mondayās game.
āThe only thing Iām going to say is neither Miles nor (rookie center Nathan Mensah from Ghana) will be here with us tonight,ā Clifford said. āThatās all Iām going to say.ā
Bridges is currently serving three years of probation after pleading no contest in exchange for no jail time in the June 2022 domestic violence case involving the mother of his two children, who accused Bridges of assaulting her in front of them. He must adhere to a 10-year criminal protection order for the woman, weekly narcotics and marijuana testing, and restitution, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorneyās office.
Bridges most recently turned himself in on Oct. 13 after an arrest warrant was issued for an alleged protection order violation.
The warrant had originally been issued on Jan. 2, but had not previously been served until October, just before the NBA season. Per court documents, Bridges āunlawfullyā and āknowinglyā violated the protection order.
That case is still pending.
Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson Rebecca Purdy said they do not provide details on specific individual cases, but anybody seeking entry into the country must ādemonstrate they meet the requirements to enter.ā
āAdmissibility is decided case-by-case and based on the information made available at the time of entry,ā Purdy said in an email to the AP. āSeveral factors are used in determining if an individual is admissible to Canada, including involvement in criminal activity, human rights violations, organized crime, security, health or financial reasons.ā
Bridges was suspended by the NBA for the first 10 games of the season after sitting out all of last season. He is averaging 19.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game since his return from suspension in 12 starts.
Bridgesā absence means the Hornets will be severely shorthanded for a second straight game as they look to snap a four-game losing streak.
āItās all hands on deck,ā Clifford said.
When they hosted Philadelphia on Saturday, the Hornets were without three starters in LaMelo Ball (right ankle), Gordon Hayward (illness) and Mark Williams (back), plus two key reserves in P.J. Washington (left shoulder) and Cody Martin (left knee). The Hornets lost guard Terry Rozier in the third quarter when he caught an elbow to the nose.
Without those players, the Hornets lost 135-82, their worst loss in franchise history. Charlotteās only win in its past seven games was a home victory over Toronto on Dec. 8.
Rozier and Washington were both set to return Monday against the Raptors, the Hornets announced.
Clifford said he shared a positive message with his players at Monday morningās shootaround.
āWe are obviously super (undermanned) here,ā Clifford said, āand we can win tonight.ā
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AP Sports Writer Ryan Kryska and AP freelance Sports Writer Ian Harrison contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba