Men's basketball

Representing United States
FIBA World U17 Championship
Gold	2010 Hamburg	National team
FIBA Americas U16 Championship
Gold	2009 Argentina	National team

Bradley Emmanuel Beal Sr. (born June 28, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People sometimes call him “the Big Panda.. He has been chosen for the NBA All-Star team three times. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team once.

Beal was picked by the Washington Wizards as the third overall player in the 2012 NBA draft. He played for the Wizards for eleven seasons. In 2013, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team. In 2021, he made the All-NBA Third Team. He is the second-highest scorer in the Wizards' history. In 2023, Beal was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He joined Kevin Durant and Devin Booker there. However, he had many injuries during his time with the Suns.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Bradley Beal grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to Chaminade College Preparatory School. He was a very talented basketball player from a young age.

Winning Gold with Team USA

In 2010, Bradley played for the U.S. team in the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship. His team won the championship! Bradley was a star player, scoring about 18 points in each game. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team. He even won the MVP award for the tournament.

High School Achievements

During his last year of high school, Bradley was amazing. He scored 32.5 points, grabbed 5.7 rebounds, and made 2.8 assists per game. He was named the 2011 Mr. Show-Me Basketball. This award goes to the best high school basketball player in Missouri. He also won the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year award. This award recognizes the top high school athlete in the country.

College Career at Florida

On November 30, 2009, Bradley Beal decided to play college basketball for the University of Florida. He received a scholarship to join the Gators team. He played for coach Billy Donovan during the 2011–12 season.

Freshman Year Success

In his very first game for Florida, Bradley started and scored 14 points. He quickly showed how good he was. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week multiple times. During one week, he averaged 18.5 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in two wins.

Bradley earned many honors in his first year. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He was also a first-team All-SEC selection. He finished the season averaging 14.8 points per game. He helped his team reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. They were eventually defeated by Louisville.

Professional Basketball Journey

Joining the Washington Wizards (2012–2023)

On April 13, 2012, Bradley Beal decided to enter the NBA draft. He gave up his last three years of college. On June 28, 2012, which was his 19th birthday, the Washington Wizards picked him third overall in the 2012 NBA draft.

Early Success and All-Rookie Honors

Beal playing against the New York Knicks in 2013

Bradley quickly made an impact. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December 2012 and January 2013. On January 4, 2013, he scored a career-high 24 points against the Brooklyn Nets. He even made a crucial three-pointer to send the game into double overtime. He was chosen to play in the Rising Stars competition at the 2013 All-Star weekend.

Unfortunately, Bradley missed the rest of the 2012–13 season due to a leg injury. Even so, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team. He finished third in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

First Playoff Appearance

In November 2013, Bradley scored 34 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He later set a new career high with 37 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. He also competed in the Three-Point Shootout at the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend. He was the youngest player ever in that event. In April 2014, Bradley and the Wizards beat the Bulls in the playoffs. This was the first time the team reached the second round since 2005.

Dealing with Injuries

Beal playing against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2014

Bradley faced some injuries in the 2014–2016 seasons. In October 2014, he had surgery on his left wrist. He missed the first nine games of the season. He returned in November and scored 21 points in his first game back. In December, he made a game-winning shot against the Orlando Magic with less than a second left.

He also dealt with a toe injury in February 2015. He missed eight games but returned to help the Wizards. In the playoffs that year, he scored a playoff career-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks. He later set a new playoff high with 34 points in Game 4. The Wizards lost that series in six games.

The 2015–16 season was also affected by injuries. He missed games due to a shoulder injury and a leg injury. He played in a career-low 55 games but still averaged a career-high 17.4 points per game.

Becoming an All-Star Player

Beal playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017

On July 26, 2016, Bradley Beal signed a big five-year contract with the Wizards. He started to play even better. In November 2016, he scored 34 points against the Miami Heat. Two days later, he set a new career high with 42 points against the Phoenix Suns. He also made a career-high seven three-pointers in a game against the Sacramento Kings.

In December 2016, he reached 501 career three-pointers. He became only the third Wizards player to make 500 three-pointers. He had another great game with 41 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. In February 2017, he scored 41 points again against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

By March 2017, he broke the Wizards' record for most three-pointers in a single season. He finished with 209 three-pointers that season. He joined Kevin Durant and Vince Carter as one of the few young players to average over 23 points and shoot over 40% from three-point range. In the 2017 playoffs, he scored 33 points to help the Wizards force a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics. He scored 38 points in Game 7, but the Wizards lost the series.

First All-Star Selection

In November 2017, Bradley scored 40 points against the Phoenix Suns. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to make 700 three-pointers. On December 5, 2017, he set a new career high with 51 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He made 21 field goals in that game.

He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in December 2017. On January 23, 2018, Bradley Beal was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the first time! He scored 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder two days later. In the 2018 playoffs, he scored 28 points in Game 3 and 31 points in Game 4 against the Toronto Raptors. The Wizards lost the series in six games.

High Scoring Seasons

Beal in 2018

In October 2018, Bradley broke the Wizards' franchise record for most career three-pointers. He passed Gilbert Arenas with his 869th three-pointer. In November, he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 900 career three-pointers. He had his first career triple-double in December 2018 with 40 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds.

In January 2019, he had his second triple-double of the season. He scored 43 points, had 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. He joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with multiple games of 40 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a season. He scored a season-high 46 points in February. In March, he scored 40 points in back-to-back games. He became the first player in Wizards history to have 2,000 points, 400 rebounds, and 400 assists in a season.

In October 2019, Bradley signed a new contract with the Wizards. He continued his high-scoring ways. In February 2020, he scored a career-high 53 points against the Chicago Bulls. The very next day, he broke his own record with 55 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to score 50 points on two nights in a row. He averaged an amazing 36.2 points per game in February 2020. He finished the season averaging 30.5 points per game, which was second in the league.

All-NBA Selection and Wrist Surgery

Beal in 2020

On January 6, 2021, Bradley scored a career-high 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. This tied Gilbert Arenas' Wizards franchise record for points in a game. He started the 2020–21 season by scoring at least 25 points in 17 straight games. In February, he was chosen to start in his third All-Star Game. He played on Kevin Durant's team with his childhood friend Jayson Tatum.

Bradley helped the Wizards turn their season around. They went on a great winning streak and made the playoffs. He led the Wizards to a big win over the Indiana Pacers in the play-in tournament. This secured their first playoff spot since 2018. Bradley also earned his first All-NBA selection, being named to the All-NBA Third team. He scored a career-high 31.3 points per game in the 2020-21 season. This was the highest scoring average in Wizards franchise history.

In February 2022, Bradley had surgery on his left wrist. This ended his season. He played 40 games and averaged a career-high 6.6 assists per game.

Contract and Trade Request

In June 2022, Bradley chose not to take his player option. He then signed a new five-year, $251 million contract with the Wizards in July. In October, he made a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls. In February 2023, he scored a season-high 37 points against the Atlanta Hawks. As the 2023 offseason began, Bradley and the Wizards started talking about trading him to another team.

Playing for the Phoenix Suns (2023–2025)

On June 24, 2023, Bradley Beal was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He joined the Suns along with Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd. The Wizards received several draft picks and players like Landry Shamet and Chris Paul in return.

First Season in Phoenix

Bradley missed the first seven games of the 2023–24 season due to back tightness. He made his debut with the Suns on November 8, 2023, scoring 13 points in a win against the Chicago Bulls. On January 11, 2024, he scored 37 points and made 8 three-pointers in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bradley returned to Washington to play against his former team on February 4. He had an amazing game, scoring a season-high 43 points in a big win over the Wizards. On April 14, 2024, he scored 36 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This helped the Suns avoid the play-in tournament and get into the playoffs. However, the Suns were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.

Injuries and New Role

The Suns started the 2024–25 season with a record of 15 wins and 18 losses. Because of this, the Suns decided to move Bradley Beal to the bench. This was his first time coming off the bench in nine years. In his first game in this new role, he scored 25 points, helping Phoenix end a four-game losing streak. On July 16, 2025, Bradley was waived by the Suns after they agreed to buy out his contract.

Joining the Los Angeles Clippers (2025–present)

On July 18, 2025, Bradley Beal signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. This contract includes an option for him to play in the 2026-27 season.

National Team Career

Bradley Beal was supposed to play for the 2020 U.S. Olympic team. The Olympics were delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After playing in three practice games, he was unable to go to the Tokyo Olympics because he tested positive for the coronavirus. Bradley has said he would like to join the 2024 U.S. Olympic team if asked.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012–13	Washington	56	46	31.2	.410	.386	.786	3.8	2.4	.9	.5	13.9
2013–14	Washington	73	73	34.7	.419	.402	.788	3.7	3.3	1.0	.2	17.1
2014–15	Washington	63	59	33.5	.427	.409	.783	3.8	3.1	1.2	.3	15.3
2015–16	Washington	55	35	31.1	.449	.387	.767	3.4	2.9	1.0	.2	17.4
2016–17	Washington	77	77	34.9	.482	.404	.825	3.1	3.5	1.1	.3	23.1
2017–18	Washington	82*	82*	36.3	.460	.375	.793	4.4	4.5	1.2	.4	22.6
2018–19	Washington	82*	82*	36.9*	.475	.351	.808	5.0	5.5	1.5	.7	25.6
2019–20	Washington	57	57	36.0	.455	.353	.842	4.2	6.1	1.2	.4	30.5
2020–21	Washington	60	60	35.8	.485	.349	.889	4.7	4.4	1.2	.4	31.3
2021–22	Washington	40	40	36.0	.451	.300	.833	4.7	6.6	.9	.4	23.2
2022–23	Washington	50	50	33.5	.506	.365	.842	3.9	5.4	.9	.7	23.2
2023–24	Phoenix	53	53	33.3	.513	.430	.813	4.4	5.0	1.0	.5	18.2
2024–25	Phoenix	53	38	32.1	.497	.386	.803	3.3	3.7	1.1	.5	17.0
Career		801	752	34.4	.464	.376	.821	4.1	4.3	1.1	.4	21.5
All-Star		3	1	21.7	.514	.433	—	1.0	2.3	1.0	.0	17.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2014	Washington	11	11	41.6	.424	.415	.796	5.0	4.5	1.6	.6	19.2
2015	Washington	10	10	41.8	.405	.365	.831	5.5	4.6	1.6	.7	23.4
2017	Washington	13	13	38.9	.471	.287	.820	3.3	2.7	1.6	.6	24.8
2018	Washington	6	6	35.9	.454	.467	.870	3.3	2.8	1.2	.3	23.2
2021	Washington	5	5	39.1	.455	.219	.861	6.2	4.2	.8	.6	30.0
2024	Phoenix	4	4	38.5	.441	.435	.800	2.8	4.5	.8	.3	16.5
Career		49	49	39.7	.442	.353	.828	4.4	3.8	1.4	.6	22.9

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2011–12	Florida	37	37	34.2	.445	.339	.769	6.7	2.2	1.4	.8	14.8

Personal Life and Interests

Beal holding his son Deuce in 2019

Bradley Beal is married to Kamiah Adams. They have three sons together. Their oldest son, Bradley "Deuce" Beal II, was born in 2018. Then came Braylen Beal in 2019, and Braxton Beal in 2022. Bradley and Kamiah got married in 2020.

Bradley comes from a big family. His parents are Bobby and Besta Beal. He has four brothers: Brandon, Bruce, Byron, and Bryon. All of his brothers played college football.

Supporting Youth Basketball

After joining the NBA, Bradley partnered with the St. Louis Eagles AAU basketball club. This was the team he played for in high school. In 2017, the club was renamed Bradley Beal Elite. This club has boys' and girls' teams that play in the Nike-sponsored Elite Youth Basketball League. In 2024, Bradley also got the naming rights to a sports center in Chesterfield, Missouri. This center, called the Beal Center, hosts his team's events. It also hosts volleyball clubs, youth sports, and other programs.

Connections and Hobbies

Rapper Nelly, who is a family friend, used to walk Bradley to school. Bradley also used to babysit future Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum when he was a teenager. They became close friends.

Bradley considers himself a "nerd." He had a 4.0 GPA in high school. In college, he studied biology as a pre-med student.

Bradley Beal facts for kids

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