Shawn Bradley set to retire

[hairball02]

can someone say ...... extra ROSTER SPOT?

[alby]

Originally posted by: hairball02
can someone say ...... extra ROSTER SPOT?

thank you.

[DubOverdose]

Can someone say 'trade for a pick/buy a pick'

[hairball02]

has anyone found out what the maximum number of players is that you can have on the roster (with the new agreement)?

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Bookit
I wonder if the Mavs approached him about a trade possibility and this pushed Bradley's hand?

wouldn't surprise me.

Originally posted by: Sike
harsh question: "Shawn Bradley, bust or no?"

He didn't live up to the billing of being a #2 overall pick. But Shawn was a good solid NBA player who lasted 12 years in the league which is not a trival accomplishment. He also led the league in blocked shots twice. So, IMO he's definitely not a bust by any means. But I wouldn't say he was worthy of a #2 overall pick either. If Shawn has gone somewhere between 10 and 15, then I think that we would have been an excellent selection.

[alby]

bust.

imo, when a player doesnt live up to expectations, then hes a failure.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: LRB

Annette is around 5'2". His kids are in the top percentile for their ages.

BTW don't expect a Shawn comeback unless it's with the Mavs. Annette really likes the Dallas area, and I don't see Shawn uprooting his kids from friends and school. The only possible exception might be Utah where he could be closer to family.

I felt something was up with Bradley when I was told in March that his kids were not coming back to the same school that they had been to for years. The word around school was that they were "moving further away".

I'm not a fan of his game, too many times I'd watch him get beat defensively and then there were the missed dunks (although he did develop a sweet 10 ft shot). I am a fan of him as a person however, he's truly a generous and kind man.

Best of luck to you Shawn.

[mary]

Originally posted by: bcrav4
And now we enter the Pavel/DJ era.

Its probably too soon to set your expectations this high. They may or may not develop into players who can contribute at the professional level.

As far as Shawn goes, I've always heard that he is one of the fan friendliest guys on the team and I wish him nothing but the best. Like others, my initial thought this morning was that Cuban probably gave him the heads up on a future move, so he could make a decision whether or not he wanted to be uprooted and/or seperated from his family in any future trades. If so, then both sides did the right thing. There's always the possibility that this is strictly injury related, but we'll probably never know.

At times he was frustrating to watch, but at other times he could alter the game and provide some exciting moments. I always cheered very hard at the AAC when I saw him sitting at the scorer's table. For the most part, I enjoyed watching him play. But by the time the playoffs ended, it was clear to pretty much everyone that he was not to be a part of the Mavs' Big Picture, one way or the other.

There are two things that I already find unfortunate about Bradley's retirement:

1. Some of those that support him will oversell what he was and force others to criticize him harshly on a day which we should just be thanking him and wishing him well. Shawn Bradley's number will never hang from the rafters at the AAC - its a silly suggestion really, but that's no reason to pretend like he was never a contributor to winning games.

2. Most of those that truly hated his presence on this team (i.e. local media) will just spend the day bashing him and remind us of the countless times that Shawn was dunked on by smaller guards. I've already heard local media members refer to this as "The Greatest Day of the Cuban Era", and "The Best News About the Mavs in a Long Time." I find those comments very unfortunate.

[ames7]

I honestly don't know how to feel about this. Didn't see it coming at all. Feels a little like the end of an era. He's taken enough slack for his career. I wish him the best.

[alby]

that leaves finley as the longest tenured mavs.. or is he next? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

lol im just kidding..

[chumdawg]

Bradley and Fin were the longest "tenured" set of teammates in the NBA. Wonder who that is now? Fin and Dirk, maybe?

[Smiles]

Originally posted by: jthig32

I haven't spoken to him about this personally, but I heard his wife speak once, and she was very clear that bball wasn't really all that important to them or their family. I wasn't sure if she was just projecting her attitude on Shawn or not, though it finally occurred to me a year ago that he often doesn't seem all that fired up about games. Maybe it's just not his style?

Ape could be on to something there... When Mark is finished with someone, he seems to find a way to get rid of them. I feel the same way about Steve Nash's departure, but I wouldn't expect anyone to believe me now any more than they did last summer.

I just hope Shawn will be happy with the new direction his life takes.

[EricaLubarsky]

[quote]
Originally posted by: mary

There are two things that I already find unfortunate about Bradley's retirement:

1. Some of those that support him will oversell what he was and force others to criticize him harshly on a day which we should just be thanking him and wishing him well. Shawn Bradley's number will never hang from the rafters at the AAC - its a silly suggestion really, but that's no reason to pretend like he was never a contributor to winning games.

2. Most of those that truly hated his presence on this team (i.e. local media) will just spend the day bashing him and remind us of the countless times that Shawn was dunked on by smaller guards. I've already heard local media members refer to this as "The Greatest Day of the Cuban Era", and "The Best News About the Mavs in a Long Time." I find those comments very unfortunate.

excellent points

[echo]

Shawn is a good human being, but he was a disappointment as a player. He was drafted 2nd overall for a reason.....he was 7'6' and had tremendous potential. He should have been a top tier center. Shawn's problem was that he didn't enjoy basketball enough to push his game to a higher level. I won't say he lacked heart, but he did lack the drive to be the best he could be. That's what was so frustrating about him.

I hope the Mavs don't get saddled with the last two years of his cap, but if so it wasn't like he was in their plans. I wish him well, but I won't miss him as a player.

[ddh33]

Goodbye to a great guy...and quietly, all our Mavs that we grew up with (or grew up with us) are gone. Only two remain...

Poor Shawn was always looked at like a savior by some. Others looked at him like the ultimate bust. Unfortunately, very few saw him for what he really was - a solid role player who had a nice career in the league.

I wish him all the best with his family.

As for the Mavs, are they counting on DJ and Pavel. The article makes it sound like they are...

[bo319]

I am happy about Shawn's departure.
I have been a Mantis supporter and agree that he had his place/job on the team and sometimes did it very well. He was maddeningly inconsistant and constantly poster material for the league's high flyers but I liked what he brought when he brought it. It was pretty clear that he was not in the plans and this decision could well have been to prevent a trade so as I was expecting he will not be a Mav next season. I am therefore not saddened by his departure...I do wish him well as everything I've seen or heard off the court says that he is a class human being.

I guess you could say something like:

Friends, Mavites, countrymen
Lend me your ears
I come not to praise Shawn
but to bury him

[NewMexiMav]

Originally posted by: Smiles
When Mark is finished with someone, he seems to find a way to get rid of them.

Don't you think that Mark could have traded Shawn if he was "finished with him"? Unless the injuries are to the extent that Shawn couldn't pass a physical, I have no doubt Mark could trade Shawn somewhere and get some value. For a center, Shawn's contract is not bloated and would likely be very tradeable. To me, this seems like more of an accomodation to Shawn to offer the buyout if the Bradley family didn't want to pull up their roots in Dallas.

I've always been a Bradley supporter and still feel that, if healthy, he's a damn good back-up center who can alter an opponent's offensive gameplan. However, it was painfully obvious in the playoffs that Avery and the coaching staff didn't see it that way. Therefore, I figured a trade of Bradley during the off-season was probable to clear a roster spot for a more athletic back-up for Damp. Hopefully, one that the Mav's coaching staff would actually play.

We don't know for sure how this all came about, but if it was precipitated by Cuban, at least he had the courtesy to give Shawn some advance notice before he shipped him off to some NBA dumping ground like Atlanta or New Orleans.

[ocelot_ark]

The perception of the Mavs around the league just got significantly better.

[sike]

Originally posted by: ocelot_ark
The perception of the Mavs around the league just got significantly better.

eh

[bo319]

Less soft white boyz

[mmmfast]

He'll be missed.
He was what he was for the past few years but c'mon - #10 all-time blocks at 2,119 Just behind Shaq.

For the good times -



- my fav [img]i/expressions/devil.gif[/img]

[Lebanese_Fan]

Thanks LRB for the info. Bradley plays basketball because he is 7 6' not because he like it. I hope he is going to find work he can do that he will enjoy and have fun doing.

[sike]

Originally posted by: Lebanese_Fan
Thanks LRB for the info. Bradley plays basketball because he is 7 6' not because he like it. I hope he is going to find work he can do that he will enjoy and have fun doing.

I hope he invested wisely and never has to work another day in his life.

[The Miles]

Definitely a bust (to answer the question earlier). #2 picks are supposed to be studs, Bradley wasn't even close to being a stud, he was barely worth putting on the floor. He would block some shots but then turn around and get dunked on by a guard thus inflating the opposing teams confidence to unbelievable levels.

I am sure he is a good guy but as a Mavs fan this is the best news that has happened in awhile. Just my $.02.

[Evilmav2]

This is a sad, sad day. Thanks for all those great years and for the shot-blocking titles Shawn, you and your fierce competitiveness will be missed...


The Greatest Center in Dallas Maverick's History

[Big Boy Laroux]

man oh man! no one has even mentioned the best part! All Bradley jerseys have to be going on sale, right?

and i am serious. i would buy one in a heartbeat if the prices dropped.

[Evilmav2]

I was just thinking about that myself, BBL. Assuming the price drops down to the level that Antawn/Antoine jerseys fell to on the Mavgear site this year, I'll definitely pick up a home and away authentic jersey once the price drops.

[TheBlameGame]

I don't care what anyone says. I am going to miss Shawn Bradley. No he didn't live up to the second pick in the draft but he didn't draft himself so he doesn't deserve the blame for the high expectations.

Thanks for the memories and have a great life Shawn. I'll miss you[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[The Miles]

Shawn, you and your fierce competitiveness will be missed...

A big reason that Bradley will go down as one of the biggest busts in NBA history is that he didn't play the game with any passion. Bradley played basketball because he was 7'6" not because he loved the game. He never added to his game, never added mass, never got in better shape, never studied the game.

I mean, great guy, but as a player he was a total letdown.

[TheBlameGame]

It is a lot harder to gain weight then it is to lose it.

[Evilmav2]

Originally posted by: The Miles

A big reason that Bradley will go down as one of the biggest busts in NBA history is that he didn't play the game with any passion.

Here I would say you are absolutely wrong, as I believe that one of Bradley's greatest flaws as a player was that he actually played with too much passion. Thinking back about the pre-Nellie-doghouse Bradley glory years, I can't remember how many times I've seen big #44 become frustrated during games and respond by picking up needless frustration fouls, by angrily jawing at refs and other players, by swinging his fearsome pointy elbows around with abandon, and by actually starting fights with other players.

In his prime, I always believed that Bradley played at his best whenever he managed to keep his head and not become overyly angry in games, and that certainly wasn't because he 'didn't care' or lacked the 'passion' that you and an entire generation of mindlessly vocal, game-attending fans ascribed to him. Instead, I believe that Bradley almost certainly cared too much and thus became hugely, immoderately angry when his own physical limitations allowed physically more powerful pivots to bend the rules by pushing him out of position in the paint, and even more so when referees sanctioned that rule bending by allowing such said transgression to pass with no amercement.

Obviously, the old 'Bradley doesn't care' routine still has it's adherents, but I think that today it is just as mindlessly casual a delusion as it ever was, and I further think that any of y'all poontangs who want to bang on your Anti-Bradley drums today- of all Goddamned days- should show a little more class and pipe down with your disgracefully mindless, 'what have you done for me lately' bandwagoneer jabberings... At least for one damned day...


The Bradley Era: A Legacy of Sharp Elbows and Shattered Orbital Sockets

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: The Miles

He never added mass, never got in better shape...

[chumdawg]

Boy, I couldn't agree with that any more, Evil. I've always felt that Bradley was the only--and I emphasize, ONLY--Maverick with any sort of mean streak. Most people are going to look at him and see a lily-white Mormon, but Shawn Bradley was willing to toss a well-timed elbow or get down on the hardwood and tangle with your ass. Remember some of the confrontations he had with Karl Malone? Goodness knows you could have spent a lot of time looking for someone else on the roster to mix it up a bit, and come up empty.

I think my lasting memory of Shawn Bradley will be the game at Indiana, when for most of the first half he was selling out on both ends of the court and basically single-handedly keeping the Mavericks in a game they had no business being in. And then that one play when all 7'6" of him dove across the scorer's table to tap back in a loose ball, in the process shattering a laptop and showing complete lack of concern for his own wellbeing.

In the end Reggie Miller drained a petented three to win the game for the home team--but in a way that only makes the memory greater, as it showcased the heart and gumption of not just one tremendous player, but two.

[Evilmav2]

Originally posted by: chumdawg
I think my lasting memory of Shawn Bradley will be the game at Indiana, when for most of the first half he was selling out on both ends of the court and basically single-handedly keeping the Mavericks in a game they had no business being in. And then that one play when all 7'6" of him dove across the scorer's table to tap back in a loose ball, in the process shattering a laptop and showing complete lack of concern for his own wellbeing.

In the end Reggie Miller drained a petented three to win the game for the home team--but in a way that only makes the memory greater, as it showcased the heart and gumption of not just one tremendous player, but two.

That was a great, great game Chumdawg, and I think you might be amused to know that Indianapolis Star Pacers beat writer Mark Montieth still keeps that (his) Bradley-smashed laptop computer hanging on his office wall...

On a seperate point, as EL so succinctly pointed out with her excellent Brigham Young Bradley pic, Big #44 was listed at 235 pounds coming into the NBA (I know that, because I dug out some of my old Bradley rookies cards to see what they had him listed at), and he is currently listed on his NBA.com page as being 275 pounds. Is that not, "gaining mass"?

[Thespiralgoeson]

I never really doubted his heart. However, I've always questioned his basketball IQ, and his confidence.

[Razor]

Hmm Bradley and Nellie both retired in the last few months.....

[Quetzalcoatl]

I will miss Bradley on the team. I don’t like the way of his retirement, but well.. I’m not injured, I’m not mormom, I haven’t got six children and over all... I love basketball.

For me Shawn was a good player, a role center that could contribute and help a lot. In the 2001 playoffs he was the starter center and he played quite well. Yes, it’s true that the expectations were much higher and that he disappointed a lot, but I think also Nelson condemned him. Nevermind. Now it’s over.

Good luck for you in your new life, Bradley. I will miss you.

[Mavinator]

A man with such a fire in his soul as could not fully find expression even in 2,119 savage shot-blocks... It is little surprise that only the love of his family could sate him.

A fond farewell to the Greatest Running 7-6 Player in NBA History- the true fans appreciate all you've done for us Shawn.

[Rhylan]

Thanks for pointing out the weight thing, EL.. any guy that puts on 40 lbs in his 20s without getting a gut is certainly "gaining mass." Not to say Shawn ever was or will be a hoss, but still.. the guy's knees were the biggest part of his legs at BYU and the first couple years in Philly. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Big Boy Laroux]

i still remember stories with bradley in philly. they tried to beef him up any way possible. loads of philly cheese steaks. just didn't work. he'd either vomit, or if it stayed down, it wouldn't give him any mass.