Shawn Bradley

Infobox NBAretired


width=180px
caption=
position=Center
number=76, 45, 44
height_ft= 7|height_in=6
weight_lbs=275
birthdate= birth date and age|1972|3|22
Landstuhl, West Germany
debutyear=1993
finalyear=2005
draftyear=1993
draftround=1
draftpick=2
draftteam=Philadelphia 76ers
college=BYU
teams=
*Philadelphia 76ers (1993–1995)
*New Jersey Nets (1995–1997)
*Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005)
stat1label=Points
stat1value=6,752
stat2label=Rebounds
stat2value=5,268
stat3label=Blocks
stat3value=2,119
letter=b
bbr=bradlsh01
highlights=
*1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
HOF=

Shawn Paul Bradley(born March 22, 1972) is a retired American nowrap|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.

Professional career

Shawn Bradley was highly regarded as an NBA prospect from 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, averaging 3.5 blocked shots per game. He had a decent short-range jump shot that he rarely used. One year he even managed to shoot 92% from the free throw line, well above his career average.

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. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2092800 ESPN - Center to call it quits after 12 seasons - NBA ] ]

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 fourth place at the EuroBasket 2001 in Turkey.In order to participate in this tournament, Bradley made use of his German roots to obtain German citizenship. [http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2001/0809/sport/0026/index.html]

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." [Luhm, Steve. " [http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_5173770 Shawn Bradley: A big man on campus] ", The Salt Lake Tribune, published February 7, 2007, accessed March 1, 2007.]

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 [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shawn_bradley/printable_player_files.html NBA.com: Shawn Bradley Printable Stats ] ] [http://starbulletin.com/1999/08/18/sports/story1.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sports ] ] 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. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DC1F39F930A35757C0A965958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fB%2fBrigham%20Young%20University 7-6 Bradley Opts for N.B.A. - New York Times ] ] 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. Bradley has also participated in the "Basketball Without Borders" program with other NBA players like Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop and Malik Rose and found his experiences with children in Africa uplifting. [ [http://www.nba.com/bwb/bradley_040907.html NBA.com "We Are Blessed By Visitors" ] ]

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).

He also enjoys visiting sick kids in hospitals all around the U.S.

TV and movie appearances

Bradley had a cameo in the film "Space Jam" in 1996 [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0103399/ Shawn Bradley profile] , Internet Movie Database] , 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", and had a cameo appearance as an auto mechanic in "The Singles Ward".

References

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/historical/playerfile/index.html?player=shawn_bradley nba.com/historical/playerfile]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.9.html NBA Draft Busts]

External links

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* [http://www.nba.com/bwb/bradley_040907.html Shawn Bradley about the "Basketball Without Borders" program]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.9.html NBA Draft Busts #12]