Miles Bridges Bio
Miles Emmanuel Bridges Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on March 21, 1998, in Flint, Michigan, he has established himself as a dynamic forward in professional basketball. Bridges played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being selected 12th overall in the 2018 NBA draft. He signed a lucrative three-year, $75 million contract extension with the Hornets in July 2024, solidifying his role as a core piece of the franchise’s future.
Early Life and Background
Miles Bridges was born on March 21, 1998, in Flint, Michigan, to Cynthia and Raymond Bridges. His father Raymond was a two-time basketball state champion at Flint Northern High School and introduced Miles to basketball when he was just two years old. Bridges grew up in a challenging environment in Flint, and his sister Tara Rushing played an important role in his childhood. He attended middle school at Woodland Park Academy in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and by age 12, he was practicing at a local YMCA with future high school teammates under coach Keith Gray.
Despite the environment in Flint, Bridges found basketball as an outlet and passion. His father\’s basketball background provided a foundation for his development, and by his teenage years, it was clear he possessed exceptional talent that would carry him beyond his hometown.
High School Career
As a freshman, Bridges played varsity basketball at Flint Southwestern Academy in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, alongside future George Mason signee Jaire Grayer and future Mississippi Valley commit Jovan Embry. Standing 6 feet 4 inches at just 14 years old and playing center, he averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game, leading his team to the regional semifinals and a 17-6 record.
In July 2013, Bridges transferred to Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia, to escape the violence and distractions in Flint. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.8 points per game, 9.9 rebounds per game, 2.7 steals, and 3.3 assists per game while leading the Irish to a 29-5 overall record. During his junior year, Bridges averaged 15.7 points per game, 10.6 rebounds per game, 3.5 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 2.3 steals per game with a 31-3 record, the most wins in school history at that time.
As a senior, Bridges averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals while leading Huntington Prep to a 25-11 record. In January 2016, he was named a McDonald\’s All-American and played in the 2016 McDonald\’s All-American Game at the United Center in Chicago, scoring eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. He also competed in the Jordan Brand Classic All-Star game that year.
Path to Basketball
Bridges was a five-star recruit and ranked as the 10th-best player of his class by Rivals.com, while ESPN ranked him as the No. 8 overall recruit in the 2016 high school class. He declined scholarship offers from prestigious programs including Kentucky, Kansas, and Oregon. On October 3, 2015, he announced his commitment to play for Michigan State University under head coach Tom Izzo, who labeled him a “blue-collar superstar” and expected him to seamlessly fit into the program.
Miles Bridges Career
College Career (2016-2018)
In his debut for Michigan State against Arizona on November 12, 2016, Bridges scored 21 points and recorded seven rebounds. He continued his strong freshman campaign with a 22-point, 15-rebound performance against St. John\’s on November 24. After missing seven games due to an ankle injury, he returned on January 4, 2017, and later scored a career-high 33 points in a loss to Purdue on January 24.
Bridges earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team. He was also named to the Sporting News Freshmen All-American Team and USBWA All-District V Team. He finished his freshman season averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in 32 minutes per game.
Following his freshman year, Bridges announced his return to Michigan State for his sophomore season on April 13, 2017, prompting experts to peg the Spartans as 2018 National Championship favorites. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and became a consensus second-team All-American in 2018. After Michigan State\’s upset loss in the second round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, Bridges declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility.
Charlotte Hornets Era (2018-Present)
On June 21, 2018, Bridges was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2018 NBA draft. He was subsequently traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the 11th overall pick, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On July 2, Bridges officially signed a four-year contract worth $16.3 million with the Hornets. As a rookie, he participated in the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest, showcasing his athleticism to NBA fans.
Bridges continued developing his game through his first few seasons, and on February 14, 2020, he won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award for Team USA in Chicago. Team USA defeated Team World 151-131 in the exhibition game. The 2021-22 season saw Bridges emerge as a more prolific scorer, with a career-high 35 points against the Atlanta Hawks on November 20, 2021.
However, that season ended on a troubling note. During the Hornets\’ play-in tournament loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 13, 2022, Bridges was ejected and threw his mouthpiece at a 16-year-old Hawks fan. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA the following day for the incident.
Rising Stars MVP
Bridges earned the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award during the 2019-20 season, putting on an impressive performance in the exhibition game that pits first-year and second-year players against each other. His Team USA squad dominated Team World 151-131, with Bridges making significant contributions on both ends of the floor. The MVP award validated his transition from college star to NBA contributor.
Notable Events and Milestones
After missing significant time due to a suspension stemming from a domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend Mychelle Johnson and two of their children, Bridges returned to the court on November 17, 2023, recording 17 points and five rebounds in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Three days later, he recorded a near triple-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, including a game-winning three-pointer in overtime against the Boston Celtics.
The 2023-24 season marked a breakthrough in Bridges\’ scoring ability. He scored a then career-high 41 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 5, 2024, and followed that with a 45-point performance versus the Toronto Raptors two days later, adding eight rebounds and seven assists in that contest.
Miles Bridges Career Highlights
Bridges has established himself as an increasingly productive scorer in the NBA, posting career-high performances throughout his tenure with the Charlotte Hornets. His ability to impact games as a scorer and rebounder has made him a valuable asset for the franchise.
NBA Career Highlights
His most prolific scoring season came in 2024-25, when Bridges recorded a career-high 46 points in a narrow 118-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 7, 2025. This performance followed his lucrative contract extension signed in July 2024, a three-year, $75 million deal that demonstrated the Hornets\’ commitment to building around their homegrown talent. Bridges\’ progression from a raw athlete to a 20-plus points per game scorer represents his most significant professional achievement.
College and High School Honors
Before his NBA career, Bridges collected an impressive array of honors. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2017, a McDonald\’s All-American in 2016, and earned consensus second-team All-American status in 2018. His high school career at Huntington Prep saw him lead the program to its most wins in school history while averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds, and over five assists per game as a senior.
Miles Bridges Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Miles Bridges comes from a basketball family through his father Raymond Bridges, who was a two-time state champion at Flint Northern High School. This early exposure to competitive basketball at a young age shaped Bridges\’ development and love for the game. His sister Tara Rushing was also an influential figure during his childhood in Flint.
Personal Life
Bridges has four children with his ex-wife Mychelle Johnson. Outside of basketball, Bridges pursues rap music under the name RTB MB, showcasing his creative interests beyond the hardwood. A unique aspect of his basketball career is that despite being naturally right-handed, Bridges plays basketball left-handed because he broke his right arm at age six, which forced him to switch to shooting with his left hand.
His personal life has faced public scrutiny following a June 2022 domestic violence incident involving Johnson and their children. Bridges was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence, ultimately pleading no contest to the charge in November 2022 and receiving three years of probation. In October 2023, he faced additional legal issues when charged with violating his probation and protection order after an alleged incident involving Johnson\’s vehicle.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024-25 NBA season marked a significant chapter in Bridges\’ career following his lucrative three-year, $75 million contract extension signed in July 2024. The Hornets invested heavily in their homegrown forward, and Bridges responded with the most prolific scoring of his professional career. His 46-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 7, 2025, represented the culmination of his improved offensive arsenal and established him as a reliable primary option.
The season storyline for Bridges centered on consistency and leadership. After returning from his suspension in late 2023 and working to rebuild public perception, he focused on delivering steady production night after night. The Hornets continued their rebuilding efforts around a young core, with Bridges serving as one of the veteran voices in the locker room despite his relatively young age.
Looking ahead, Bridges appears positioned as a foundational piece for the Hornets\’ future. His scoring ability, rebounding prowess, and defensive versatility make him a multi-dimensional player whom the franchise can build around. The 2025-26 season will be critical as Bridges aims to lead the Hornets toward playoff contention while continuing to showcase the improvements that earned him the lucrative extension.