DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — Former Dallas Mavericks center Shaun Bradley, 48, has announced that he is paralyzed following a car accident on January 20. The retired NBA player was riding his bicycle near his home in St. George, Utah, when he was hit from behind, suffering a traumatic spinal cord injury. Neck fusion surgery and eight weeks of hospitalization has left him with what doctors are calling a long and arduous road to recovery.
Bradley was drafted in 1993 out of BYU as the number two overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was eventually traded to the New Jersey Nets and in February 1997 was part of a nine player trade that sent him to Dallas. Mavs then-general manager Don Nelson called Bradley and guard Robert Pack the main interests in that deal. As a Maverick he averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks until his retirement in 2005.
The Dallas Morning News reports Mavs owner Mark Cuban issued a statement that read, in part, “Shawn has always been incredibly determined and shown a fighting spirit, We wish him nothing but the best in his recovery. He will always be a part of our Mavs family.”
Bradley says he plans on using his tragedy as a means of promoting bicycle safety.
