Shawn Bradley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shawn Bradley

Bradley in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1972-03-22) March 22, 1972 (age 53) Landstuhl, West Germany
Nationality	German / American
High school	Emery (Castle Dale, Utah)
Listed height	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Listed weight	275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
College	BYU (1990–1991)
NBA Draft	1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	1993–2005
Career history
1993–1995	Philadelphia 76ers
1995–1997	New Jersey Nets
1997–2005	Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1994) NBA blocks leader (1997) NCAA blocks leader (1991) Second-team All-WAC (1991) WAC Freshman of the Year (1991) Second-team Parade All-American (1990) Third-team Parade All-American (1989) McDonald's All-American Co-MVP (1990) Utah Mr. Basketball (1989)
Career NBA statistics
Points	6,752 (8.1 ppg)
Rebounds	5,268 (6.3 rpg)
Blocks	2,119 (2.5 bpg)

Shawn Paul Bradley (born March 22, 1972) is a German-American former professional basketball player. He played as a center for three teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. At 7 feet 6 inches tall, he is one of the tallest players ever in the NBA. Shawn was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, because his family was at a U.S. military base there. He grew up in Castle Dale, Utah, and has citizenship in both the United States and Germany.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Shawn Bradley was born on March 22, 1972, in Landstuhl, West Germany. His father was working at a U.S. military hospital at the time. Shawn came from a tall family. His father was 6 feet 8 inches tall, and his mother was 6 feet tall. By the end of junior high school (around age 13–14), Shawn was already 6 feet 8 inches tall. By his junior year of high school (age 16–17), he had grown to 7 feet 5 inches. His adult height became 7 feet 6 inches. Scientists later found that his great height is natural. It's not due to any health issues.

Bradley grew up on a farm near the small town of Castle Dale, Utah. He and his siblings were raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shawn was a great player in basketball, football, and baseball at Emery High School from 1987 to 1990. He became one of the best high school basketball players in Utah history.

• He averaged 20.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.4 blocked shots per game in his career.
• During his time, Emery High had a record of 68 wins and 4 losses.
• They won two state championships.
• Bradley was named All-State three times.
• He earned the season MVP award twice.
• In his senior year, he averaged 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 blocks.
• He was named All-American by many national magazines.
• He was named Co-MVP for the West team at the McDonald's All-American Game.
• As of 2015, Bradley still holds Utah state records for blocked shots. He has records for a single game (18), a season (209), and a career (605).

College Career and Mission

Many colleges wanted Shawn Bradley to play for them. He chose to play at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah.

During his first year (1990–91), he started all 34 games for BYU. He averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. But his biggest impact was blocking shots. He led the entire nation in total blocks (177) and blocks per game (5.2). This set a new NCAA freshman record in both areas.

In one game against Eastern Kentucky, Bradley blocked 14 shots. This tied the NCAA record for most blocks in a single game. He also scored a career-high 29 points in that game.

BYU played in the NCAA tournament that season. Bradley continued his strong defense. In a first-round game against Virginia, he set a tournament record with 10 blocked shots. This helped BYU win 61–48. However, he had foul trouble in the next game and BYU lost to Arizona.

Bradley received many awards for his great freshman season:

• He was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Freshman of the Year.
• He was also on the All-WAC defensive team.
• The Associated Press (AP) named him Honorable Mention All-American.

After his freshman year, Bradley took a two-year break from BYU. From 1991 to 1993, he served as a full-time missionary for the LDS Church. He was sent to Sydney, Australia. After his mission, Bradley decided to skip his last three years of college basketball. He then entered the NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Philadelphia 76ers (1993–1995)

Shawn Bradley was a very interesting player in the 1993 NBA Draft. Some people thought his height and athleticism would make him a star. Others worried he was too thin (230 pounds) and didn't have enough experience. He had only played one year of college basketball, then took two years off for his mission.

The Philadelphia 76ers chose him with the second pick in the draft. They saw him as a big project with a lot of future potential. The team even brought in basketball legend Moses Malone to help teach Bradley. They also hired experts to help him gain weight and improve his skills. Because he was 7 feet 6 inches tall, he was given jersey number 76.

His first season (1993–94) had mixed results. In his first game, he scored 6 points and had 5 rebounds. But he did block 8 shots in just 25 minutes. Throughout his career, Bradley was great at blocking shots. But his scoring and rebounding were not always consistent. In his first season, he averaged 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. This earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. However, he often struggled with fouls and turnovers. He also dislocated his kneecap in February, ending his season early.

Bradley was healthy for his second season and played all 82 games for the 76ers. His scoring went down a bit, but his rebounding and shot-blocking improved. He blocked 274 shots, which was a team record. In one game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he had career highs of 28 points and 22 rebounds. He also tied his career high with 9 blocked shots. He ended the season strong, with 13 games where he had a "double-double" (double figures in two stats) in his last 17 games.

New Jersey Nets (1995–1997)

Even with some good games, Bradley's play was still inconsistent. This was frustrating for the Philadelphia team. Just 12 games into his third season (1995–96), the 76ers traded Bradley to the New Jersey Nets. He played the rest of that season with the Nets.

In February, he played very well against another tall player, Gheorghe Mureșan. Bradley scored a season-high 27 points, with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. This helped the Nets beat the Washington Bullets.

Bradley played even better in March 1996. He scored a career-high 32 points and had 15 rebounds against Dallas. A week later, he set another career high with 10 blocked shots against the Phoenix Suns. In his very next game, he got his first "triple-double" (double figures in three stats). He had 19 points, 17 rebounds, and a career-best 11 blocked shots against Mureşan and the Bullets. In April, he had two triple-doubles in a row. He became the first NBA player to have two games in a season with double-digit blocked shots in a row. For the 1995–96 season, he averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.

The Nets got new management for the 1996–97 season. The new coach and general manager were not as excited about Bradley. To save money, the Nets traded Bradley to the Dallas Mavericks in a big trade involving nine players.

Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005)

Bradley (left) with the Mavericks in 2005

Bradley saw this as a new chance with a new team. With more playing time in Dallas, he had some of the best numbers of his career. In a game against the Clippers, he tied his career high with 32 points. This was the most points ever scored by a center for the Mavericks. He also had a season-high 16 rebounds in that game. He finished the year averaging 13.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, which were new career highs. Most importantly, Bradley gave Dallas strong defense inside the paint, which they needed. He finished the year as the best shot-blocker in the entire league, averaging 3.4 blocks per game. This was the first time a Mavericks player had led the NBA in any stat.

However, Bradley still had the inconsistency that marked his career. During the 1997–98 season, Dallas coach Jim Cleamons sometimes had Bradley come off the bench instead of starting. In one game, this worked very well. Bradley had 22 points, 22 rebounds, and a career-high 13 blocked shots against the Trail Blazers. He became only the fifth NBA player to have at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game. He was the first to do it while coming off the bench. The other players who had done this were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal. Bradley ended the year with a team record of 214 blocked shots. His average of 3.3 blocks per game was third in the NBA.

Bradley played 7 more seasons in the league, staying with the Mavericks until he retired in 2005. Over these years, his playing time slowly went down. This was mainly due to injuries and the coach changing the team's lineups. His role in scoring became very small, but he remained a strong defensive player. In the 2000–01 season, he broke his own team record by blocking 228 shots for Dallas. This was the highest total in the NBA that year. The Mavericks became a team that often made the playoffs. This was mostly because of star players like Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. But Bradley's defense was a big help. He finished his career averaging 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 23.5 minutes per game.

International Play

Bradley also played basketball for Germany. He and his Dallas teammate Dirk Nowitzki were on the German national basketball team. They finished in fourth place at the EuroBasket 2001 tournament in Turkey. Bradley was able to play for Germany because his mother was German, which allowed him to get German citizenship.

Life After Basketball

After retiring as a player, Bradley started working with West Ridge Academy. This is a private school in West Jordan, Utah, for young people who need extra support. Bradley works as a vice principal, counselor, and coach there. The school's director said that Shawn's height gives him "immediate credibility" with the kids. He is a great role model who worked hard to be successful. Being so tall wasn't always easy for him, so he understands what it's like to be different.

On March 19, 2010, Bradley ran for political office. He filed papers to run as a Republican for a seat in the Utah House of Representatives. On November 2, 2010, he lost the election.

Personal Life and Health

Bradley has helped with many charity efforts. In the 2000–01 NBA season, he gave $25 for each blocked shot to Bryan's House. This is a place for children affected by HIV and AIDS. He is also a national spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Bradley has also taken part in the "Basketball Without Borders" program. He worked with other NBA players like Dikembe Mutombo to help children in Africa. He also helped people with leprosy in India through Rising Star Outreach.

On January 20, 2021, Bradley was riding his bicycle near his home in St. George, Utah. He was hit from behind by a car. This caused a serious spinal cord injury in his neck, which left him paralyzed. Bradley was trying to go around a parked car when he was bumped by a minivan. The driver of that car was not charged with a crime.

In a 2022 interview, Bradley said that he and his family plan to move to a home in Dallas, Texas, that is easier to use with a wheelchair. He is still working on his recovery. Bradley said his height makes his recovery harder because there isn't much medical experience with quadriplegia in someone so tall.

TV and Movie Appearances

Bradley appeared in the 1996 movie Space Jam. In the film, he was one of the NBA stars who lost their basketball skills. Other players included Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing. He also appeared as himself in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. He had a small role as an auto mechanic in The Singles Ward movie. In 2011, he was in a music video that honored basketball player Jimmer Fredette. He also appeared in an episode of Studio C.

Bradley was featured in an ESPN documentary called "Posterized". This film looked at how often he was on the "wrong end" of amazing dunks by other players.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See Also

In Spanish: Shawn Bradley para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association single-game blocks leaders
• List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game