Former professional basketball player Shawn Paul Bradley, German-American, was a center for the National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks (NBA).
Before his retirement in 2005, Bradley spent nine of his 12 NBA seasons with the Mavericks. With 1,250 blocked shots, the 7-foot center is still second all-time in the league behind Dirk Nowitzki (1,281).
Even though most fans will recall the big man from his time with the Dallas Mavericks, he is no longer dishing out slam dunks and swatting jumpers into the front row.
Instead, he is living with quadriplegia due to a 2021 bike accident.
What Happened To Shawn Bradley?
The news that former Maverick Shawn Bradley had been disabled following a devastating bicycle accident in January 2021 sparked an outpouring of sympathy and prayers.
Bradley, via the Mavericks, issued a statement regarding his sad bike mishap, which happened just a block from his St. George, Utah, home when a car hit him from behind.
The statement read: “The accident resulted in catastrophic spinal cord damage that rendered him paralyzed.” Bradley has been hospitalized and has been receiving rehabilitation for the past eight weeks following neck fusion surgery.
The former center has given a few hints about his new life. His height, the attribute that gave him millions of dollars, became a burden, as described in a January 2022 Sports Illustrated feature.
Likewise, a bespoke wheelchair was required for Bradley, and it “priced more than most cars.” Simple actions like turning over in bed or taking a shower have become crucial.
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How Did Former Basketball Player Get Paralyzed?
Bradley, a former basketball player, suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury in his neck, which rendered him paralyzed.
Similarly, the No. 2 overall choice in the 1993 NBA draft and 14-year NBA veteran, Shawn Bradley, opened up to Sports Illustrated about a bike accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Before being transferred to an inpatient neurological rehab wing, where Bradley claimed he spent three weeks in the ICU, the hospital’s medical personnel faced a unique problem because of Bradley’s 7’6″ frame.
Bradley now utilizes a 500-pound wheelchair that costs more than most cars, takes three months to engineer, and weighs 500 pounds.
His family, which includes his wife, Carrie, and her three kids, rides in a brand-new, $120,000 cargo van with a lift that enables him to enter the vehicle.
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Where Is Shawn Bradley Today? Health Update 2022
In a 2022 interview with Sports Illustrated, Bradley stated that he and his family intend to relocate to a more wheelchair-accessible home in Dallas, Texas, while he continues his recovery.
Since quadriplegia at his height has no known medical precedence, Bradley regarded his height as a “drawback” to his recovery.
Moreover, he yearned for the times following challenging basketball practices when he felt worn out. Understandably, how he interacts with his wife and kids has changed, as per sportscasting.
Furthermore, in 1993, Philadelphia selected Bradley with the second-overall pick. He had some fantastic career stats, including a triple-double with the Mavericks at the tail end of the 1997–98 season that included 22 points, 22 rebounds, and 13 shots blocked.
By that point, Bradley had established himself as a cornerstone of Don Nelson’s plan to rebuild the Mavericks.