Early in his basketball journey, Miles Bridges was just a Flint kid who loved the game, participating in annual camps run by Flint natives and former NBA players Morris Peterson and Mateen Cleaves, not yet realizing that one day he’d represent to a new generation of Flint kids what Peterson and Cleaves meant to him, or former NBA players like Jeff Grayer or Glen Rice represented to Peterson and Cleaves when they were young.
Flint basketball is cyclical, and now Bridges finds himself in the position of giving back to the game in his hometown.
“It’s a full circle moment,” Bridges said. “I was in those Mateen and Mo Pete camps, and they came back and visited us all the time. So for me, I wanna give to the youth too and show them that they can make it to my position, because they’re in the position that I used to be in.”
Bridges actually expanded that concept beyond just Flint for a unique first-ever, invite-only camp at Grand Blanc High School on June 17. Bridges and a group of athletes, coaches, trainers, and others with extensive experience at collegiate and professional levels shared with the elite group of high school players from Michigan the many things it takes to succeed in high-level college and professional basketball. In addition to typical camp skill work, drills, and scrimmages, players also worked on basketball IQ and decision-making, leadership development, nutrition, strength and conditioning, hydration, and more. They each also received gear that included gym bags, performance shorts, shirts, and socks, and shoes donated by NBA All-Star and Grand Rapids native Devin Booker.
Bridges also had trainers put him through a 30-minute workout to show high school players what an NBA-level individual skills workout looks like, emphasizing that he does everything at “game speed.” He even picked a few players from the crowd to try and defend him on different types of possessions as he practiced.
High school athletes also played in front of a handful of college coaches and scouts during the showcase. Bridges hopes to make the camp an annual tradition.
“I’m very excited to have kids here at this level competing against their peers, but still having fun with the game,” he said. “It’s good for everybody, especially because Michigan high schools, they don’t always get a lot of exposure, so I’m happy that they’re getting that right now.”
Bridges was also joined in the evening at the camp by Flint native Trey McKenney, who just helped the University of Michigan win a National Championship. During a citywide celebration for McKenney last month, he said that Bridges has been a mentor to him throughout his young basketball career.
“There’s countless guys that I’ve looked up to coming from Flint,” McKenney said prior to that event. “But one in particular, Miles Bridges. I’m really close to him and he’s given me little bits and pieces to be able to go through this journey with. And I really thank him because he’s been at this level before, and he’s done it at the highest level.”
The camp wasn’t Bridges’ only appearance in his hometown on June 17. He sponsors the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV) Junior NBA league each season, and watched and interacted with young Flint players during their yearly all-star game. He reiterated to kids of all ages throughout the day that basketball success is often as much about the work you do off the court as it is on it.
“I tell them to just stay coachable, you know?,” Bridges said. “You don’t last long in college, or if you make it to the NBA, you don’t last long there not being coachable. You have to be able to want to learn things. You can’t know everything. Stay in school, listen to their parents, basic stuff like that, but just be coachable. That’s the main thing for me.”
Bridges played high school basketball at Flint Southwestern before transferring to Huntington Prep in West Virginia. He played two years at Michigan State. Bridges was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the third highest Flint player ever selected (Glen Rice was picked fourth overall in 1989 and Trent Tucker was picked sixth overall in 1982). He’s spent the entirety of his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets.
Bridges has yet to make the NBA Playoffs during his professional career, but last year’s young Hornets team came close – Charlotte lost a play-in game that would’ve given them the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Bridges believes the Hornets, who have two first round picks in this month’s NBA Draft, are in a good position to end that playoff drought heading into next season.
“We’re feeling good,” he said. “We got the 14th and 18th pick in the draft. We have places we need to get better at, but I think we’re good. We’re trending in the right direction, and we kinda learned how to win some (last season), so we’re gonna be a dangerous team in the East.”
Bridges is the longest tenured member of the Hornets and, even though he’s still only 28, he’s become one of the veteran presences on Charlotte’s team. He said he’s been able to help the team’s younger players thanks to lessons he learned early in his career.
“I’m happy that I had good vets when I came in, like Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams, Tony Parker my rookie year,” Bridges said. “I had good guys around me as my vets, so I wanna pour into the young guys like they poured into me.”
Click on the images below to see a photo gallery from the showcase
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