Shawn Bradley
The Stormin' Mormon: A 7-foot-6 shot-blocking pioneer for the Nets and Mavericks.
Shawn Paul Bradley (born March 22, 1972) is a German-American former professional basketball player. A center, he was drafted with the second pick in the 1993 NBA draft and played for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks between 1993 and 2005. He is one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m). Nicknamed The Stormin' Mormon, Bradley was named to the 1993-94 NBA All-Rookie Team and finished second in the league in total blocks during the 1996-97 season with 249, behind Shaquille O'Neal's 285.
- Height
- 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
- Position
- Center
- Heritage
- American / German
Lore & Background
Bradley was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, as his family was stationed at a U.S. military base medical facility, and grew up in Castle Dale, Utah. He holds citizenship in both the United States and Germany. In 2021, he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.
In Their Own Story
The Continental Airlines Arena hummed with anticipation as Bradley stretched for a rebound. The arena lights caught the red and black of his jersey as he leaped effortlessly, silencing the opposing team's attempt at an alley-oop. For a moment, the crowd held its breath, watching the giant secure possession before turning to face the next play.
Reader's Guide
Bradley played for the New Jersey Nets from 1995 to 1997, appearing in 67 games in the 1995–96 season and part of the 1996–97 season before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. His most statistically productive years were with the Mavericks, where he played seven seasons. He never played for the Brooklyn Nets franchise.
Did You Know?
- Bradley is one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7 ft 6 in, but Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan were both 7 ft 7 in.
- He recorded his first career triple-double with the Nets in 1996, tallying 19 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 blocked shots.
- Bradley led the NCAA in blocked shots as a freshman at BYU, setting an NCAA freshman record with 5.2 blocks per game.
- He served a two-year LDS mission in Sydney, Australia, before entering the NBA draft.
More in Legendary Players & Coaches
Elsewhere in the Brooklyn Nets universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record