CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets Miles Bridges and PJ Washington, who were playing for the USA Select team this summer in preparation for the Olympics, were pulled from training camp in Las Vegas because of COVID-19 protocols, a spokesperson for Team USA confirmed Friday morning.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was the first to report the news.
The Select Team is made up of 17 American professional players from the NBA and beyond that joined the main team during its Las Vegas training camp. These players were tasked with getting the main team prepared for the games in Tokyo.
Friday is the final day for camp, which began on Tuesday. Because the NBA Finals is ongoing and exhibition games begin July 10, some players from the Select Team will fill out the exhibition roster. Bridges and Washington will be ineligible to compete for at least the first exhibition.
The two Hornets did compete in Wednesday’s scrimmage.
Devin Booker (Suns), Jrue Holiday (Bucks) and Kris Middleton (Bucks) are Team USA members competing in the NBA Finals.
Bridges and Washington were among the Hornets’ most important players this past season.
Washington, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward, averaged 12.9 points per game, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his second NBA season. Bridges, a 6-6, 225-pound forward, who emerged as the Hornets’ sixth-man this season, averaged 12.7 points and 6 rebounds.
