Saturday Slam: In defense of Shawn Bradley

     For quite a while, I have wanted to write an article that defends Shawn Bradley and puts his critics in their place.  When I heard New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis say that he wasn't going to be another Shawn Bradley this week, I decided that now would be a good time for me to write this article. When most people think of Shawn Bradley, they think of a guy who was a bust in the NBA and a guy who got dunked on a lot. Those conceptions are unfair to Shawn Bradley both as a person and as a basketball player.

     When it comes to what Shawn Bradley has accomplished in life, he has done way more than just play basketball. He served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Australia, remained faithful to his wife throughout his NBA career, has been very involved in various charitable organizations, and has run for public office to make a difference in his community. When you look at all that he has accomplished off the court, it suddenly seems very short sighted to only think of him as a basketball player who didn't live up to wild expectations.

    As for the basketball side of things, it's also the case that Shawn Bradley doesn't get enough respect. He played for 12 seasons in the NBA and during his first five seasons, he averaged 11.29 points, 7.87 rebounds, and 3.37 blocks per game. Those aren't all-star level numbers, but those are still very respectable numbers. Especially when you look at all the shots he blocked. Contrary to what YouTube videos like to suggest, Shawn Bradley wasn't an easy player to dunk on.
 
     I understand that he never became the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but are those really fair expectations to put on any incoming NBA player? I think that in retrospect, we recognize that the answer is no. In addition, what we also fail to acknowledge is that there are so many other high draft picks who have done far worse than Shawn Bradley: Greg Oden, Darko Milicic, Adam Morrison, and Stromile Swift are guys who I consider busts. Those guys were top three picks who struggled to put together one quality NBA season, let alone five.

     Shawn Bradley at his peak was a stellar defensive force in the paint with solid offensive abilities. Is that worth a number two overall pick? Probably not, but that's certainly not nothing. The 76ers got decent return from Shawn Bradley, it's just that he didn't become their franchise player, which is what every top three pick in the NBA draft is expected to become.

     In conclusion, Shawn Bradley actually had a respectable NBA career. He played for 12 seasons, had five solid seasons, and currently ranks #14 all-time on the NBA's blocks list and #10 all-time on the NBA's blocks per game list. His career may not have been what everybody expected it to be, but it certainly shouldn't be laughed at or mocked. He had a good NBA career and has done a tremendous amount of good off the court. That is how he should be remembered.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news