By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

Nardo Bridgewater said he was delighted to come home and show off his shooting skills in front of the Bahamian crowd in the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Sunday night.

Bridgewater, an outstanding young point guard, participated in the ‘Peace on da Streets’ three-point shooting contest, winning the title over three other competitors.

“I worked hard everyday to prepare myself for something like this,” said Bridgewater of the competition that took place before the feature game between the politicians and the clergymen.

“It was amazing doing it in front of the home crowd. I was really pleased that I got the opportunity to perform before them. I know they enjoyed it,” stated the 24-year-old.

Bridgewater got a chance to play with the senior men’s national basketball team as they prepared for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut for the tournament at the beginning of July where the team fell short in the final of making the Olympics, scheduled for July 27 to August 11.

Despite not being on the team, Bridgewater said it’s an experience that he hopes will get him better prepared for the next Olympic cycle that will end in Los Angeles, California in 2028.

“It was great being around the NBA guys and learning and just getting knowledge from them. It was great,” Bridgewater said. 

“I took away a lot of stuff from them like how to be a professional, how to take care of your body and just be ready for anything that comes at you.

“I know my time will come, so I definitely do what I can to be ready to compete at that level. For sure, we’re going to give our best shot again to try and qualify for the Olympics.”

While the games are going on in Paris, Bridgewater will be preparing for his promotion in the France Professional Basketball League where he will now be playing in the second division, starting on August 2.

“I have a lot of expectations moving forward,” Bridgewater pointed out. “They are allowing me to be free and to play how I play, so there’s a lot of expectations for me this year.”

Last season, Bridgewater came off an injury but he was able to rehabilitate in time to prove that he’s worthy of the promotion in the league.

He was recruited to play in the league by Kino Burrows, whom he worked with in the tournament with their Raw Talent team that played in the under-16 boys’ final, losing out to the International Basketball Academy.