Could Raptors continue to get home country advantage from the federal government?

One of the bigger stories in the National Basketball Association this week came at the beginning of the week when Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges of Flint, Michigan was denied access into Canada. As a result, the Hornets did not have Bridges in their lineup, when they lost 114-99 on Monday night.

The reason why Bridges was not allowed access is because of his unresolved legal situation according to Overtime Heroics. According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, Bridges is facing three years probation for a domestic violence incident in June of 2022, where he was accused of assaulting the mother of his two children in front of his two children.

Bridges has already been suspended by the NBA. He was initially suspended the first 10 games of this season, and did not play all of the 2022-23 season because of the domestic violence charges. However over two months ago, there was a belief that Bridges violated his probation from an incident on October 6. Bridges was accused of throwing billiard balls at his former girlfriend’s vehicle with the children inside. As a result of the altercation, the vehicle’s windshield was smashed during the custody exchange according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

In 2023-24, Bridges is averaging 19.6 points per game, seven rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game, with a field goal percentage of .470, three-point percentage of .333, and a free throw percentage of .849. Clearly, the Hornets missed Bridges in the 15-point loss.

It will now be interesting to see if the Canadian security position on Bridges will set a precedent. According to Overtime Heroics, a person can be inadmissible into Canada if they “have ever been arrested or accused of a felony crime.” Will other NBA players who are dealing with legal issues have problems coming into Canada and face the Raptors? Others include Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Kevin Porter Jr. of the Houston Rockets. As a result, the Canadian legal system could give the Raptors unintentional home court advantage.