Avery Bradley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Avery Bradley

Bradley with the Boston Celtics in 2017
Utah Jazz
Vice President of Player Development
Personal information
Born	(1990-11-26) November 26, 1990 (age 34) Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
High school	Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Washington) Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nevada)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College	Texas (2009–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2010–2022
League	NBA
Career history
2010–2017	Boston Celtics
2011	→Maine Red Claws
2011	Hapoel Jerusalem
2017–2018	Detroit Pistons
2018–2019	Los Angeles Clippers
2019	Memphis Grizzlies
2019–2020	Los Angeles Lakers
2020–2021	Miami Heat
2021	Houston Rockets
2021–2022	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive First Team (2016) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2013) Big 12 All-Rookie Team (2010) First-team Parade All-American (2009) McDonald's All-American (2009)

Avery Antonio Bradley Jr. (born November 26, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He now works as the Vice President of Player Development for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Bradley played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was picked 19th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA draft. While with the Celtics, Bradley was chosen twice for the NBA All-Defensive Team. He also played for other teams like the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Early Life and Basketball Dreams

Avery Bradley was born on November 26, 1990, in Tacoma, Washington. His parents are Avery Bradley Sr. and Alicia Jones-Bradley. He has two older brothers, one older sister, and a younger brother.

His father was in the military for 22 years, and his mother worked in an office. After his parents divorced in 2001, Avery lived with his mother. But he stayed close with his father, who moved around the country for his job.

Avery became a fan of the Texas Longhorns when he lived in Arlington from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, before he started eighth grade, Avery and his family moved back to Tacoma. He played on the same amateur basketball team as Isaiah Thomas, who later became his teammate on the Celtics.

High School Basketball Star

Bradley was one of the best high school basketball players in the class of 2009. ESPNU ranked him as the number one player in the country.

He led Findlay College Prep to win the National High School Basketball championship game. They beat Oak Hill Academy 56–53. After winning the title, Parade Magazine named Bradley the National High School Basketball Player of the Year.

He also played in the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game, where the best high school players compete. He even won the McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest! Before joining Findlay Prep for his senior year, Bradley was a starter for three years at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington.

College Days at Texas

Bradley went to the University of Texas at Austin. He liked the Texas Longhorns basketball team because he had lived in Arlington as a child and was a fan of their player, T. J. Ford.

In his first year (2009–10), Bradley scored an average of 11.6 points per game for the Longhorns. He became known as one of the best defensive guards in college basketball. He was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team.

In April 2010, Bradley decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would leave college early and not play his last three years.

Professional Basketball Journey

Boston Celtics (2010–2017)

Bradley was chosen by the Boston Celtics as the 19th pick in the 2010 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Celtics on July 2, 2010. On the same day, he had ankle surgery and missed the 2010 NBA Summer League.

Bradley was only 19 years old when he joined the Celtics, who were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. He played his first regular season game in the team's fourteenth game.

Bradley defending Jordan Crawford in 2011

On January 14, 2011, Bradley was sent to the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League. He scored 11 points in his first game with them. He was called back to the Celtics team after another player, Marquis Daniels, got injured.

In one game during his first season, Bradley scored 20 points when he played more than 15 minutes. The Celtics kept his contract for the next two seasons.

Back in Action (2011–2012)

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Bradley played three games for Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel. He averaged 13.7 points per game.

When the NBA season started again in 2011–12, Bradley got much more playing time. He became a starter after Ray Allen got injured. Bradley scored a lot more points, including a career-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks on April 20, 2012. He was also praised for his amazing defense and effort.

However, Bradley dislocated his shoulder during the 2012 NBA Playoffs. This injury needed surgery and was a big loss for the Celtics. They ended up losing to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.

Tough Seasons (2012–2014)

Bradley's contract was extended through the 2013–14 season. He missed the start of the 2012–13 NBA season because of his shoulder injury. When he returned on January 2, 2013, he became the starting shooting guard again. The team started winning more games with him back.

Even though he was great at defense, Bradley struggled with his shooting. The Celtics had a tough season, especially after their point guard Rajon Rondo got a serious knee injury. The Celtics lost in the first round of the playoffs.

For the 2013–14 NBA season, the Celtics traded away some of their star players. This meant Bradley had a bigger role. He started the season as the team's point guard, but then moved back to his natural shooting guard position. This helped the team, and Bradley improved his scoring. He even matched his career high of 28 points in one game.

Consistent Performer (2014–2015)

In July 2014, Bradley signed a new four-year contract with the Celtics. He continued to play strong defense and scored well, including a career-high 32 points against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics traded Rajon Rondo during the season, but the team, led by coach Brad Stevens and new player Isaiah Thomas, started to improve. Bradley's scoring was especially good in February. He helped the Celtics make it to the playoffs as the #7 seed. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games.

All-Defensive First Team (2015–2016)

The Celtics started the 2015–16 NBA season hoping to build on their playoff appearance. Bradley had a great moment early on with a huge dunk over Kawhi Leonard. He missed some games with a calf injury, but when he returned, he played very well.

Bradley made a game-winning three-pointer against the Cleveland Cavaliers in February. He was the team's second-highest scorer, behind Isaiah Thomas.

The Celtics finished with a good record and made the playoffs again. However, Bradley got a hamstring injury in the first playoff game and missed the rest of the series. The Celtics lost in six games. Despite the injury, Bradley's great defense was recognized when he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

Best Offensive Season (2016–2017)

In the 2016–17 NBA season, Bradley had his best offensive year. He scored 16.3 points per game, a career high, and shot well from three-point range. He also grabbed a lot more rebounds, averaging 6.1 per game. In one game, he had a career-high 13 rebounds.

The Celtics finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference. They won their first playoff series since 2012. Bradley scored a playoff career-high 24 points in one game, and then 29 points in another. The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bradley hit a game-winning three-pointer in Game 3 of that series.

Detroit Pistons (2017–2018)

On July 7, 2017, the Celtics traded Bradley to the Detroit Pistons. This trade helped the Celtics make room to sign another star player. Bradley had been with the Celtics longer than any other player on the team at that time.

In his first game for the Pistons, Bradley scored 15 points. He scored a season-high 28 points on November 15. He missed some games in December and January due to a hip injury.

Los Angeles Clippers (2018–2019)

On January 29, 2018, Bradley was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a big trade. He had surgery on his leg muscles in March and missed the rest of the season.

Bradley re-signed with the Clippers on July 9, 2018.

Memphis Grizzlies (2019)

On February 7, 2019, Bradley was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Five days later, he scored a career-high 33 points in a close game against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Grizzlies waived Bradley on July 6, 2019.

Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2020)

In July 2019, Bradley signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. During the 2019–20 season, the NBA season was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season restarted, Bradley chose not to play to stay with his family. His oldest son had a history of breathing problems.

Even though he didn't play in the restart, the Lakers went on to win the 2020 NBA Finals. Bradley received a championship ring for his important role during the regular season. After the season, he became a free agent.

Miami Heat (2020–2021)

On November 23, 2020, Bradley signed with the Miami Heat.

Houston Rockets (2021)

On March 25, 2021, Bradley was traded to the Houston Rockets. The Rockets later chose not to keep him, making him a free agent again.

Golden State Warriors (2021)

On September 24, 2021, Bradley signed with the Golden State Warriors. However, he was waived on October 15 after playing in four preseason games.

Return to the Lakers (2021–2022)

On October 18, 2021, Bradley was picked up by the Lakers again. On December 10, he scored a season-high 22 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Player Profile: A Defensive Star

Avery Bradley was known for his amazing defense, even though he was a bit smaller for a shooting guard. He made up for his size with quickness, strength, and determination. Other NBA players like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum called him the best perimeter defender in the NBA.

Bradley was very athletic and explosive. He even won the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game. While he didn't always show off his leaping ability in games, he was excellent at guarding other players. His intense defensive style, which was his greatest strength, might have also contributed to some of the injuries he had during his career. However, his most serious injuries happened early on.

Because of his strong defense and improving offense, Bradley became a very important player for the Celtics. He played more and more minutes during his time with the team.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2010–11	Boston	31	0	5.2	.343	.000	.500	.5	.4	.3	.0	1.7
2011–12	Boston	64	28	21.4	.498	.407	.795	1.8	1.4	.7	.2	7.6
2012–13	Boston	50	50	28.7	.402	.317	.755	2.2	2.1	1.3	.4	9.2
2013–14	Boston	60	58	30.9	.438	.395	.804	3.8	1.4	1.1	.2	14.9
2014–15	Boston	77	77	31.5	.429	.352	.790	3.1	1.8	1.1	.2	13.9
2015–16	Boston	76	72	33.4	.447	.361	.780	2.9	2.1	1.5	.3	15.2
2016–17	Boston	55	55	33.4	.463	.390	.731	6.1	2.2	1.2	.2	16.3
2017–18	Detroit	40	40	31.7	.409	.381	.763	2.4	2.1	1.2	.2	15.0
2017–18	L.A. Clippers	6	6	27.5	.473	.111	1.000	3.7	1.8	.8	.2	9.2
2018–19	L.A. Clippers	49	49	29.9	.383	.337	.800	2.7	2.0	.6	.3	8.2
2018–19	Memphis	14	14	31.6	.463	.384	.920	3.1	4.0	1.0	.0	16.1
2019–20	L.A. Lakers	49	44	24.2	.444	.364	.833	2.3	1.3	.9	.1	8.6
2020–21	Miami	10	1	21.1	.470	.421	.778	1.8	1.4	.7	.1	8.5
2020–21	Houston	17	5	23.0	.314	.270	.833	2.3	1.9	.8	.1	5.2
2021–22	L.A. Lakers	62	45	22.7	.423	.390	.889	2.2	.8	.9	.1	6.4
Career		660	544	27.5	.434	.365	.783	2.8	1.7	1.0	.2	11.0

Playoffs

College

Life After Playing Basketball

On April 16, 2024, Avery Bradley was named the Vice President of Player Development for the Utah Jazz. This means he now helps basketball players improve their skills and careers.

Personal Life

Avery Bradley has a son named Avery III. His son was born in September 2013, just two weeks after Avery's mother passed away.

In the summer of 2014, Bradley started a basketball camp for kids in the Boston area called the Avery Bradley Skills Academy.

See also

In Spanish: Avery Bradley para niños