High hopes: The test of the NBA player who became paralyzed

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About a week and a half after the Dallas announcement of the accident that left Sean Bradley paralyzed, new details about the unfortunate incident were released. And also: the exciting support he received and the morality of the intellect

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All life can change in an instant. The time was 15:15, the calendar showed January 20, 2021 and former player Sean Bradley rode his bike near his home in Utah. Until a week and a half ago the last sentence seemed perfectly normal, and then came the painful message from Dallas that shocked the NBA family and turned that sentence into a punch in the stomach.

“Sean Bradley released to the public today the first details of the accident that occurred on January 20, 2021,” read the opening statement of the Mavericks published on March 17. “Sean Bradley, a former Dallas player who stands 2.29 meters tall, was hit in the back by a vehicle while riding a bicycle near his home in St. George, Utah. The accident caused traumatic injury to the spine and left him paralyzed. For the past two months Bradley has remained in the hospital, where He is undergoing rehabilitation. ”

Although he recorded a 12-year career in the best basketball league in the world with quite a bit of pressure on his big shoulders after being selected second in the 1993 draft and becoming a high school sensation, it seems that Bradley’s real challenge has only just begun. “Doctors have told Tongue that his rehabilitation will be long and tedious. The physical challenge may be more difficult than playing basketball professionally,” it said.

Between imagination and reality
Apart from the fact that he was selected by Philadelphia before Hardway in the 1993 draft, if you ask a basketball fan on the street who Sean Bradley is, there is a good chance that he will remember him from the famous movie “Spice Jam”. Bradley was one of those stars, including Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing Magsy Bugs and Larry Johnson, who lost their talent for monsters. The tallest monster in front of her Michael Jordan had to deal with in the film, based on the character of Bradley.

Following the expectations he carried on his back when he shook the hand of Commissioner David Stern on the stage of the ’93 draft, it can be gently said that the script at Spice Jam was not so far from reality. Despite an exceptional high school career that we will immediately dwell on, in his 12 years in the NBA Bradley averaged 23.5 minutes per game, 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Thanks to good genetics and a super-early jump (2.03m in eighth grade and 2.26m in 11th grade), Bradley was dominant in a way not seen every day. Over the years he led his “Emery” school (Utah) to an amazing balance. Of 4:68, which set him two championships and two MVP titles. In his final high school season he averaged 25 points per game along with 17 rebounds and nine blocks. During high school he set a record in the state of Utah that has yet to be broken and is unlikely to be broken – 18 blocks in one game. Rex Chapman Tweeted two years ago: “Before Zion Williamson, there was Sean Bradley.”

In college Bradley played at BYU and led the entire United States in blocks (177) and blocks per game (5.2). In one game he broke the record of “Admiral” David Robinson, who then stood at 14 blocks in one game. In the NBA he was selected to the second Rockies top five in 1994 and led the league in blocks in 1997. Also, of all the NBA players who played over 15,000 minutes, the former chin is the player with the highest blocking percentage (7.8%). That is, he blocked 7.8% of the opponent’s shots to two points when he was on the floor.

The new details of the accident
Just last Monday Bradley celebrated his 49th birthday, but instead of celebrating the event, he continued his treatment at the hospital and at the same time the local media published new details about the accident. The investigative direction is that the former chin was hit in the back by a passenger vehicle (pickup) that caused him to collide with another vehicle parked on the side of the road.

The 30-year-old woman who was driving the van claimed to police officers that she was traveling at 6.5 km / h when she saw Bradley, and even left him enough space to drive. In addition, she claimed she did not deviate from her lane. The driver in the parked vehicle remembers Bradley flying in the air and landing on Ride on his back, according to the intensity of the fall, while Bradley himself remembered nothing after the incident.

When the passenger vehicle hit Bradley, the latter got on it along with his bike, which led to the serious injuries, and immediately afterwards the two drivers got out of the vehicles to provide assistance to Bradley. According to local police, the former player did not drive faster than 22.5 km / h all the way on the road, and during the collision drove even slower. The day after the incident when police spoke to Bradley at the hospital, he recalled that while passing the parked vehicle, The van hit him and sent him to the other vehicle.As of this point, no one was charged in the incident.

The love for bicycles
Cruelly, similar to the horrific accident of Kobe Bryant who was a big fan of helicopters, Bradley was also injured while doing what he loved so much. Since his retirement about 15 years ago Bradley has become a bike enthusiast, and because of his size he has had to take care of himself with a specially adapted trek bike for him.

Thanks to his new hobby, Bradley started traveling around the spectacular canyons near his home in southern Utah, thus losing 14 kg. More than once he recorded extra long trips of more than 160 km a day, and in 2010 he traveled from Utah to Wyoming – a distance of about 750 km. M.

For a better future
Anyone who knows Bradley well, or even just met him, says he’s one of the nicest people seen in the NBA, and after the event he got back the love he deserves. Moments after the Dallas announcement, the former player received virtual support and hugs from all sides. Luca Doncic, Dikamba Mutombo, Steve Kerr, Gilbert Arenas, Rudy Guber and Tim Hardway are just a few of the stars who have expressed support on social media.

At least outwardly it seems that Bradley is dealing with the evil of the decree impressively. Beyond that, the statement said he wanted to convey a bigger message in order to prevent as many more such incidents as possible. “Bradley is in a good mood,” it read. “He plans to use a past accident as a means of raising awareness of the importance of safety in cycling.”

One of the people who enlisted for Sean Bradley is former football player Eric LaGrand, who has become an inspiring figure in American sports culture. During a game in 2010, Grand suffered an injury that left him paralyzed, and when he woke up the day after the injury – his first words to his mother were: “I will return”. Grand was rehabilitated, raised awareness of spinal cord injuries, and transferred funds to research the issue.

This week Grand made it clear to Bradley that he could affect the world even after the accident. “People think there is no way back from spinal injuries, that life is over, but that is not true,” he said To Grand. “These are thoughts that go through your mind at the beginning of rehabilitation and that’s understandable. I’m willing to help Tongon get through it. As time goes on you just understand that this is your new life, and I pray for him and his family. It’s a life-changing event, but you can still make an impact That she is “.

A good few years after he managed to overcome the fact that his career did not work out as he had hoped, Bradley’s character again faced a test, much greater. Bradley’s new test is to overcome the fact that his life did not turn out as he had hoped, and to embark on a new path. In contrast to the pressure he experienced then, this time he receives endless support from the world of sports in which he has high hopes, almost like him.

bigger than life. Grand is ready to help Bradley (Getty)
bigger than life. Grand is ready to help Bradley (Getty)

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