This past Saturday in Charlotte, Miles Bridges hosted a youth basketball camp through his family foundation at Providence Day School. The Hornets' starting power forward put in a big effort to give back to the kids in the community, and I was able to speak with him to chat about his experience at the camp. During our conversation, I asked about Taj Gibson's comments of him being "an All-Star caliber player" back at the end of the 2024-25 regular season in April. It's safe to say Bridges was honored by his teammates' words.
"Taj, he's played with two MVPs in Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, so that means a lot coming from him," Bridges said with a smile. "He's seen a lot. He sees my work ethic, he sees what I put into the game. Shouts out to Taj, he’s one of the best teammates, one of the best OGs in the game right now. So I'm happy to be part of his journey, and I'm happy that he had those kind words to say about me."
Comments like the ones Gibson offered at exit interview day don't typically go unnoticed, by fans or players. These were Taj's full thoughts on Miles, for context: "Miles Bridges, who I think is an All-Star. You can quote me on that," Gibson said on April 14. "I really think he's an All-Star. If he really just locks in and maintains his body, he's an All-Star caliber player."
Bridges was honored by Gibson's comments
Obviously, that's high praise from a guy who's been in the league for a while and has seen it all at this point. Someone like Gibson knows talent when he sees it, and he was not shy about offering up these observations of what he saw from number zero in his first season as his teammate.
For Bridges, he knows what kind of supporter he has in a top-tier teammate like Gibson, but it's got to still be nice to hear him voice these things publicly like this. Whether Taj is back in a Hornets uniform in 2025-26 or not, he'll be watching guys like Miles knowing the type of heart and talent they possess.
Following the conclusion of this past season, Bridges made a point to mention how driven he is to work this summer and talked about his desire to be in Charlotte throughout the summer as he works to get better. After talking with him on Saturday, it's clear to see that he values the confidence his peers have in him, and that should only propel him to further greatness.