Former center for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association, Shawn Paul Bradley is German-American (NBA).
Bradley played nine of his 12 NBA seasons for the Mavericks before retiring in 2005. The 7-foot center is still second all-time in the league behind Dirk Nowitzki with 1,250 blocks (1,281).
The big guy no longer slams dunks and smashes shots in the front row, although most fans will recognize him from his days with the Dallas Mavericks.
He is currently living with quadriplegia as a result of a bicycle accident in 2021.
How did Shawn Bradley fare?
Following a tragic bicycle accident in January 2021, news that former Maverick Shawn Bradley was crippled triggered a flood of support and prayers.
Bradley released a statement through the Mavericks following his tragic bicycle accident, which occurred just a block from his home in St. George, Utah, when he was hit from behind by a motorist.
Shawn Paul Bradley, a former NBA basketball player who is German-American
The collision caused devastating damage to his spinal cord, which he said left him unable to move. Bradley has spent the last eight weeks in a hospital rehabilitating after undergoing a neck fusion operation.
The ex-center has given a few hints about his new life. According to a January 2022 Sports Illustrated article, his size, which netted him millions in cash, became a liability.
Bradley also needed a custom-made wheelchair that “costs more than most cars”. Simple actions like showering or turning in bed have become indispensable.
How did it happen to the paralyzed former basketball player?
Bradley, a former basketball player, was paralyzed in his neck after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.
Similar to Shawn Bradley, who told Sports Illustrated about his bicycle accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down, Bradley was the No. 2 draft pick in the 1993 NBA and a 14-year NBA veteran.
Shawn Bradley was crippled in a tragic bicycle accident in January 2021.
Bradley claimed he spent three weeks in intensive care before being transferred to an inpatient neurological rehab ward, but the hospital’s medical staff faced a particular challenge due to Bradley’s 7ft 6in height.
Bradley now uses a 500-pound wheelchair that took three months to develop, which costs more than most cars and weighs 500 pounds.
His family rides in a brand new $120,000 van with a lift that allows him to get into the vehicle. His family consists of his wife Carrie and their three children.
Where is Shawn Bradley today? Health update 2022
Bradley said in a 2022 interview with Sports Illustrated that he and his family planned to move to a more wheelchair-accessible home in Dallas, Texas while he continues his recovery.
Bradley saw his size as a “detriment” to his recovery as quadriplegia has no known medical precedent at his size.
He also craved the periods after difficult basketball practice sessions when he felt drained. According to Sportcasting, it makes sense that he treats his wife and children differently now.
Additionally, Philadelphia picked Bradley by the second overall pick in 1993. His career stats were stellar, and by the end of the 1997-98 Mavericks season he was recording a triple-double with 22 points, 22 rebounds and 13 blocked shots.
By this time, Bradley had made his name as a key component of Don Nelson’s strategy to revive the Mavericks.