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Sad.  Terrible news.

Sad news. For whatever reason he was the punching bag on the late 90s/early 00s Mavs teams. But he basically was the only plus defender on the entire roster in most seasons. Underrated player but that´s what you get in a narrative driven league/media landscape. No suprise that most players in the current NBA rarely try to contest dunks. Even the best shot blocker cannot prevent every single dunk and will end up on a poster at some point.
Really hope that he can make the best possible recovery.

(03-17-2021, 01:44 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Sad news. For whatever reason he was the punching bag on the late 90s/early 00s Mavs teams. But he basically was the only plus defender on the entire roster in most seasons. Underrated player but that´s what you get in a narrative driven league/media landscape. No suprise that most players in the current NBA rarely try to contest dunks. Even the best shot blocker cannot prevent every single dunk and will end up on a poster at some point.
Really hope that he can make the best possible recovery.

I was watching a video on Shawn last year and JVG had some really nice things to say about him.  Something a long the lines of "you can't be a great shot blocker if you aren't willing to be on someone's poster (highlight reel)".

This is terrible news.  Neck fusion surgery probably tells about the nature of the injury.

Very sad news, and I hope he finds a way to get back some of his lost function.  As a bike rider, I'll say that the trend with regard to Americans' driving habits is not good at all for bike riders.  I no longer ride on the streets here and keep to the dedicated biking trails.  People are literally reading their cell phones as they drive down the road.

So tragic.

Man. I feel for him. I hope he makes the best of his terrible hand he got dealt.

Quick personal story.

I've always had a soft spot for Shawn Bradley. Dallas traded for him back when I was in college, and I remember going to a free Fan Jam and sitting courtside where I got to see just how incredibly tall he was for the first time. It made the NBA seem much more "real" than what you see on TV or from the nosebleeds. I also once ran into him at a local restaurant where he and his wife were herding a ton of kids, and he seemed like such a nice dude. I ran a small Mavs-related website from the campus computers between classes, and when fans were particularly harsh on him I wrote a small bit about the experience and how I admired his professionalism on the court and his dedication to his family off the court. Lo and behold, his parents actually read it and emailed me to thank me for the kind words and tell me I was exactly right. They're a kind and gracious family all around.

So my prayers go up to you, Shawn. You are a big part of how I grew to love the NBA. I rooted for you before and I'm not about to let up.

This sucks and will probably be life-threatening for somebody his size. How in the world do you hit a cyclist from behind, usually it's cars taking a turn right and missing the cyclists going straight.

Much love to shawn Bradley sent from Texas. Jason Kidd might have been my first favorite player growing up but it was Bradley that was a fixture for many years in our organization. He took so much heat over the years, yet he was always a great teammate, human and overall ambassador of basketball in the DFW area. Underrated component of Dirk becoming one of the greatest players of all time. Underrated part of building a winning culture for this franchise. I shed some tears today after hearing the news. Really hope he and his family know how much we love him here

(03-17-2021, 06:28 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: [ -> ]This sucks and will probably be life-threatening for somebody his size. How in the world do you hit a cyclist from behind, usually it's cars taking a turn right and missing the cyclists going straight.

I will never stop saying that it's too easy to get a drivers license in the United States. The stuff I see on the road every day makes me petrified if I ever have kids driving.

So terrible...It's tough enough to be paraplegic, but imagine being a 7'6", 270 pound paraplegic.  Prayers for that guy and his family.

Really sad stuff.  Seems like criminal neglect on the driver's part .. .how do you miss a 7'6" guy on a bike?  

Yeah, he was a really high level shot blocker.   Just just a big tall guy who would stand with his arms raised, he would actively track the ball handler down.  Really think so much of the anti-Bradley stuff was just him being maybe ahead of his time.   Even though he never developed a 3 point shot,  like all centers of the time,  Nellie often played him outside the 3 point out to clear out space on offense and it drove people crazy because that's not what a center was "supposed to do".    He had a pretty nice shooting touch.  He was shooting free throws in the 75-80+% by the 2nd half of his career.  Wonder if he would have developed a 3 point shot if he played in today's era.

How sad. I have fond memories of him manning the middle for the Mavs. Prayers for him and his family.

Can’t even begin to imagine what he must be going through. Prayers. I always thought he was ws underrated and mocked due to just how skinny he was then. More athletic than folks who didn’t watch him then realize. Competed too. If he got posterized it was because he didn’t shy away either. The TMac image of him buckling is an aberration.

(03-17-2021, 05:57 PM)Tyler Wrote: [ -> ]Quick personal story.

I've always had a soft spot for Shawn Bradley. Dallas traded for him back when I was in college, and I remember going to a free Fan Jam and sitting courtside where I got to see just how incredibly tall he was for the first time. It made the NBA seem much more "real" than what you see on TV or from the nosebleeds. I also once ran into him at a local restaurant where he and his wife were herding a ton of kids, and he seemed like such a nice dude. I ran a small Mavs-related website from the campus computers between classes, and when fans were particularly harsh on him I wrote a small bit about the experience and how I admired his professionalism on the court and his dedication to his family off the court. Lo and behold, his parents actually read it and emailed me to thank me for the kind words and tell me I was exactly right. They're a kind and gracious family all around.

So my prayers go up to you, Shawn. You are a big part of how I grew to love the NBA. I rooted for you before and I'm not about to let up.

Incredibly saddened to hear this.  I also remember Bradley and in fact I also had a floor seat as I recall at Bradley's 1st home game as a Dallas Maverick. 
I recall seeing him up close as we were on one basket end.  He was always a better player than most people perceived him to be.  Being that tall he could block or disrupt 5 shots but if anyone dunked on him, that was the highlight. 

Prayers for he and his family through this difficult season.  Tip of the hat to you Shawn. 

Good man. Tough to see this happen to him!  Prayers for him and his family!

Here's an informative update from Richie Whitt that suggests Bradley is moving in positive direction with his recovery:

Quote:A source close to Bradley tells me that while the initial news items reported "paralysis,'' Shawn has improved to the point at which he is paralyzed now only from the waist down, having recently regained full use of his arms.

Additionally, I'm told, Bradley is mapping out a move back to north Texas. The plan: Open a sports facility in Celina (catering, in part, to disabled athletes), and reach out to Allen native Kyler Murray, now the standout QB of the Arizona Cardinals, as a potential business partner. 

Increasingly positive developments and all things considered, good news about a great guy.

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/da...cic-climbs