Bill Bradley

From Princeton star to Knicks champion to U.S. senator.

William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. After playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 10 seasons with the New York Knicks, he served as a United States senator from New Jersey from 1979 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a candidate for the party's nomination for president in the 2000 election, losing to Vice President Al Gore.

Quick Facts

Office: United States Senator
Took office: January 3, 1979
Left office: January 3, 1997
Predecessor: Clifford P. Case
Successor: Robert Torricelli
Birth name: William Warren Bradley
Born: 28 July 1943
Birthplace: Crystal City, Missouri, U.S.

Lore & Background

Bradley was born and raised in Crystal City, Missouri. He excelled at basketball from an early age, was all-county and all-state in high school, and received 75 college scholarship offers but declined them all to attend Princeton University. He won a gold medal as a member of the 1964 Olympic basketball team and was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1965 NCAA Tournament, when Princeton finished third. After graduating in 1965, he attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, delaying a decision on whether to play in the NBA. While at Oxford, he played one season of professional basketball in Europe and eventually joined the New York Knicks in the 1967–68 season, after serving six months in the Air Force Reserve. He spent his entire ten-year professional career with the Knicks, winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. Retiring in 1977, he ran for a seat in the United States Senate the following year from New Jersey. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1990, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination.

Reader's Guide

Bradley is the author of seven non-fiction books, most recently We Can All Do Better, and hosts a weekly radio show, American Voices, on Sirius Satellite Radio. He is a corporate director of Starbucks and a partner at investment bank Allen & Company in New York City. He is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One and serves on that group's advisory board. He is a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In 2008 he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

Bradley scored 3,068 points in his high school career at Crystal City High School.
He wore jersey number 42 at Princeton in honor of childhood hero Dick Kazmaier.
He was the first basketball player to win the James E. Sullivan Award as the top U.S. amateur athlete.
Bradley holds Ivy League career records for total points (1,253) and average points per game (29.83).

The Historic 1973 Championship Run

The source confirms that Bradley won NBA titles with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. He spent his entire ten-year professional basketball career playing for the Knicks. The team's success during this era was built on a foundation of discipline, as Bradley practiced relentlessly, often using weighted sneakers or cardboard-covered glasses to improve his dribbling and peripheral vision. After winning these two championships, he retired in 1977.

An Unmatched Hall of Fame Starting Five

The source states that William Warren Bradley was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2008. It does not mention his induction into a Basketball Hall of Fame or list other specific players on the 1973 team such as Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, or coach Phil Jackson.

A Legacy Defined by Longevity and Scarcity

Bradley's legacy is defined by his unique transition from a decade-long NBA career to an eighteen-year tenure in the U.S. Senate. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1990, serving until 1997. He later ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000 but lost to Vice President Al Gore.