NBA star Miles Bridges apologized for throwing his mouthguard into the stands and hitting a young fan.
The incident happened on Wednesday when the Charlotte Hornets took on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in a single-elimination play-in game.
Rappers Jay Z (pictured), Nelly, and Quavo were among the celebrities sitting courtside to watch the play-in game.
According to PEOPLE, Bridges, 24, was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving a second technical for arguing a foul call.
As the crowd cheered his ejection, Miles removed his mouthguard and flung it at a fan while leaving the court. However, his aim was off and the saliva-covered mouthguard hit a 16-year-old girl in the face.
The Hornets went on to lose to the Hawks 132-103. The loss eliminated Charlotte from the NBA playoffs. The Hornets haven’t made the playoffs since 2016.
After the game, Bridges took to Twitter to say his behavior was “unacceptable.”
“Somebody get me in contact with that little girl. That’s unacceptable,” he tweeted alongside a video of the incident. The girl is seen on the left wearing a red jacket in the video.
Somebody get me in contact with the young lady. That’s unacceptable. https://t.co/MlLZjMgcBF
— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) April 14, 2022
He also told reporters, “That’s definitely unacceptable on my part, and I take full responsibility. I’m ready for any consequence that the NBA gives me.”
Bridges told ESPN, “I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me and it hit a little girl.”
A silicone mouthguard is considered a biohazard since it is saturated in a bodily fluid (saliva) and could transmit an infectious disease such as Covid-19 or herpes.
Bridges told reporters he contacted the girl and apologized to her.
According to ESPN, the 16-year-old girl did not want her name published to protect her privacy.
“I lost my cool last night,” Bridges told reporters. “…That was embarrassing on my part… I take full responsibility.”
No punishment was announced by the NBA or the Hornets. But in a similar incident, Warriors star Stephen Curry was fined $25,000 in 2016 for throwing his mouthguard into the stands and hitting a fan.
