Shawn Bradley
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| Position | Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) |
| Weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Born | March 22, 1972 Landstuhl, West Germany |
| Nationality | American /German |
| College | BYU |
| Draft | 2nd overall, 1993 Philadelphia 76ers |
| Pro career | 1993–2005 |
| Former teams | Philadelphia 76ers (1993-1995) New Jersey Nets (1995-1997) Dallas Mavericks (1997-2005) |
Shawn Paul Bradley (born March 22, 1972) is a retired American 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks (NBA). Though born in Landstuhl, West Germany, Bradley grew up in Castle Dale, Utah, in the US and has dual citizenship.
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[edit] Professional career
Shawn Bradley was highly regarded as an NBA prospect after playing well for one season with Brigham Young University. In the 1993 NBA Draft, he was the second pick overall. During his first years with the Philadelphia 76ers, Bradley established himself as a great shot-blocker with limited offensive abilities, denying an average 3.5 shots per game. He had a decent short-range jump shot that he rarely used.
Bradley, who was very thin, had a tough time against the physical centers and forwards of his generation and had a reputation for being inconsistent and not aggressive when it came to defense. At times, he averaged over 4 fouls per game at just under 30 minutes of playing time. After a couple of solid years with the Dallas Mavericks, Bradley developed knee problems. His production steadily declined, and after the Mavericks acquired Erick Dampier in 2004, Bradley found himself on the bench most of the time. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in June 2005.[1]
[edit] International career
Bradley has competed internationally for Germany; he and Dallas teammate Dirk Nowitzki were members of the German national basketball team that finished in third place at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis.[2] In order to participate in this tournament, Bradley made use of his German roots to obtain German citizenship.[3]
[edit] On-court altercations
During a March 19, 1996 game between the Vancouver Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets, 6 ft 2 in Grizzlies guard Greg Anthony threw a punch at Bradley.
On January 25, 2000, during a game against the Golden State Warriors, Bradley was picked up by Warriors forward Mark Davis and slammed on the court. For his part in the scuffle, he was fined $3,000 by the league.
During a game against the Houston Rockets, Bradley elbowed Rockets forward Walt Williams in the head. Williams punched Bradley in the mouth, drawing blood and an ejection.
[edit] Post-basketball career
After his retirement as a player, Bradley became involved with West Ridge Academy, a coeducational private school for at-risk youths in West Jordan, Utah. Bradley's role with the school involves some of the functions of a vice principal, counselor, and coach. Describing Bradley, school executive director Ken Allen said, "Shawn has a great presence—due to his size—and has immediate credibility with the kids. His instant credibility when he's talking to kids make him an incredible mentor. He is a great example of someone who has worked hard and been very successful. Being so tall wasn't always easy for him. He knows about being the 'odd kid' and dealing with that."[4]
[edit] Personal life
As of 2006, his wife Annette and he have six children: daughters Cheyenne, Ciera, Chelsea, and Charity and sons, Chance and Chase. Bradley enjoys baseball, water skiing and horseback riding and likes listening to country music [5][6] Bradley is a devout Mormon. When he was 19, he served for two years as a Mormon missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New South Wales, Australia.[7] Among others, Bradley is also known for his charitable nature. He once donated $25 for each block in the 2000-01 season to Bryan's House, a managed facility for children affected by HIV and AIDS, and is a national spokesman for the Children's Miracle Network.[8][6] Bradley has also participated in the "Basketball Without Borders" program with other NBA stars like Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop and Malik Rose and found his experiences with children in Africa uplifting.[9]
During his career, his nicknames were "The Stormin' Mormon", "The Deathstick", "Missionary Impossible", the "Mormon Mantis", the "Praying Mantis" and "Siggi" (during his time in the German national basketball team).
[edit] TV and movie appearances
Bradley had a cameo in the film Space Jam in 1996[10], depicted as one of the NBA stars who lose their talent alongside Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing.
He also appeared as himself in Walker, Texas Ranger[10], and had a cameo appearance as an auto mechanic in The Singles Ward.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ ESPN - Center to call it quits after 12 seasons - NBA
- ^ FIBA.com - FIBA World Championships and international basketball events
- ^ http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2001/0809/sport/0026/index.html
- ^ Luhm, Steve. "Shawn Bradley: A big man on campus", The Salt Lake Tribune, published February 7, 2007, accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ NBA.com: Shawn Bradley Printable Stats
- ^ a b Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sports
- ^ 7-6 Bradley Opts for N.B.A. - New York Times
- ^ NBA.com: Shawn Bradley Printable Stats
- ^ NBA.com "We Are Blessed By Visitors"
- ^ a b c Shawn Bradley profile, Internet Movie Database
[edit] External links
[edit] External links
- Shawn Bradley Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- Shawn Bradley Info Page at NBA.com
- Shawn Bradley about the "Basketball Without Borders" program
- NBA Draft Busts #12
