Hey! Whatever Happened to Shawn Bradley?
Shawn Bradley is, and always has been, more than just astonishingly tall. An admirable citizen both on and off the court, it was hard not to appreciate the affable giant as he patrolled the paint like an extraterrestrial on a solo mission to conquer mankind, but the man was not without his critics.
Otherwordly height, community assistance and Space Jam cameo appearances aside, in a league with such an urban-rooted identity, the German-born American Mormon stood out like… well, like a 7′6″ guy. Simply put, Shawn Bradley was unlike anything basketball fans had ever seen before and thus dutifully filled the role of NBA punchline for over a decade. To some he was an elbow-wielding, salary-eating bust with a penchant for getting dunked on, but to so many more he was a prime example of what can happen when one proudly lives their life with the cards they’re dealt.
On top of making grown men look like overly-muscular children upon being drafted in 1993 up until the day he called it quits in 2004, Bradley boasted incredible athleticism (foot speed, coordination, explosiveness and surprising agility) for a person even close to his size and as a result will go down as one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history.Stop for a second, recall all the grief Bradley took over the course of his career from sports magazines, players looking to make their own personal statements and even broadcasters on national TV. Now think about it; if only the slightest percentile of basketball players ever set foot on an NBA court and even less make a career out of it, it makes it kind of hard to justify the jokes now synonymous with the man’s name, doesn’t it?
To say that Bradley was an all-star caliber player during his stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks would be an overstatement, but as far as niche players are concerned, can you name even a handful who specialized in particular areas as well as the man who averaged 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, 3.4, 3.3 and 3.2 blocks per game over the first six years of his career? Probably not.
During the 1996-97 campaign, Bradley averaged a more-than-respectful 13.2 points per game to go along with 8.4 rebounds and the aforementioned 3.4 blocks. In 2001-02 he even managed to connect on over 92% of his free-throws, completely debunking the myth that bigger players are at a disadvantage at the line.
It’s been over three years since Bradley set foot on an NBA court, but if one thing is clear, it’s that his name will forever live amongst the basketball community in jest; not nearly indicative of the person and player he is or was. But don’t think Shawn Bradley is beating himself up over it, when you’re 7′6″ you get used to people not exactly seeing the full picture.
Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media
This article was written by:
Austin Kent - who has written 45 posts on Hoops Addict.
As both contributing writer and assistant editor of HoopsAddict.com, Austin Kent has enjoyed covering the NBA game from behind the scenes since 2006. Additionally, he is currently the sports editor of The Brock Press and has written for a number of basketball websites and newspapers throughout Ontario.
Comments
By rashad on July 3rd, 2008 at 8:23 am
He was basically a more athletic Mark Eaton, and, I think of some teams that would kill for his services right about now.
By smokadeth on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 am
i like that. you’re right. he was a good guy and a decent ball player. he was just picked on by players like shaq, who don’t have half the brains shawn does.
By Ace on July 5th, 2008 at 3:32 am
I just remember that he constantly got dunked on.
By Lynn on July 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Shawn is one of the most sincere, kind and honorable people I have ever met. I don’t even know his basketball history (sorry I’m not a fan) but I know him as a human being. WOW we need more men like Shawn Bradley for role models in todays society. Great man.
By blu on November 18th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
This joker quit college and BYU right after his 2-year Mormon mission. BYU was predestined to take the national championships as soon as he returned from his mission…but NOOO! I was pissed that he decided to go to the NBA right after his mission. For that reason he probably jinxd his career for turning his back on the Church, BYU, and team mates to play in the NBA. Look at his NBA career. He was a snuffed rooster and poster child for stilts.
Also, on a side note. Ben Olson, rated number 1 quarterback recruit out of highschool, goes to BYU for a year then a 2-year Mormon mission. After his mission, he stiffs BYU and transfers to UCLA. For that reason he probably jinxd his career for turning his back on the Church, BYU, and team mates to play for UClA. Look at him now. Always injured. Can’t throw a ball right. He’s demoted from starting qb to 3rd string. Every time BYU plays UCLA for some reason he can’t play. I wonder why? Maybe CHICKEN!