Philadelphia 76ers (1993–1995) Bradley entered the
1993 NBA draft as one of the most intriguing and highly debated prospects in the history of the NBA draft. Supporters claimed his tremendous size and surprising athleticism would allow him to dominate the league. Critics argued that he would struggle in the NBA due to his thin build – listed at just , he was described by
Ric Bucher of
The Miami Herald as "rail-thin," and
Lee Rose, player personnel director for the
Milwaukee Bucks at the time, said, "Size-wise, he'll get pushed around a little bit," – and lack of experience (just one season of college basketball, followed by a two-year hiatus from the sport due to his church mission). Ultimately, he was drafted by the
Philadelphia 76ers with the second overall pick, behind
Chris Webber and ahead of
Penny Hardaway. Given the novelty of a 7-foot-6 center playing for the 76ers, Bradley was issued jersey number 76. Philadelphia's management saw Bradley as a major project with huge long-term potential. The team acquired legendary big man
Moses Malone to serve as a mentor for Bradley, hoping to develop his skills in the low post. Also, the franchise hired strength and conditioning consultant
Pat Croce and registered dietitian Jeanie Subach, as well as assistant coach
Jeff Ruland, to add bulk to Bradley's skinny frame. His rookie season (1993–94) produced mixed results. In his first game, Bradley totaled just 6 points and 5 rebounds, but he did manage to block 8 shots in 25 minutes. For much of his career, Bradley was inconsistent in scoring and rebounding, but he always excelled at blocking shots. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in his first season – good enough to earn NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. He shot 40.9 percent from the floor and constantly struggled with turnovers and foul trouble. He suffered a season-ending injury in February of that year, dislocating his kneecap in a collision with
Portland's
Harvey Grant. Bradley returned to full strength in his second season, playing in all 82 games for the 76ers. His scoring actually declined slightly (9.5 points per game), but his rebounding and shot-blocking increased. He racked up 274 rejections, setting a franchise record for most blocks in a single season. Bradley gave Philly fans a glimpse of his potential in a game against the
Los Angeles Clippers in November, posting career highs of 28 points and 22 rebounds in a 97–83 victory. He also tied a career high with 9 blocked shots, and was credited with 9 additional "intimidations" as the Clippers were held to their lowest-ever point total against the 76ers. He finished the season in strong fashion, posting 13
double-doubles in his last 17 games.
New Jersey Nets (1995–1997) Despite these highlights, Bradley continued to baffle and frustrate Philadelphia with his inconsistent play. Just 12 games into his third season (1995–96), the 76ers traded Bradley to the
New Jersey Nets for
Derrick Coleman. He played the final 67 games of the year with the Nets, and tantalized Nets fans with some strong play in the second half of the season. In February, he dominated a match-up against fellow giant
Gheorghe Mureșan, leading the Nets to a 99–81 victory against the
Washington Bullets. Bradley scored a season-high 27 points over the 7-foot-7 Mureşan, and also added 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Bradley lifted his game to new levels in March 1996. He posted a career-high 32 points and added 15 rebounds against
Dallas early in the month, and set another career high a week later with 10 blocked shots against the
Phoenix Suns. He recorded his first career
triple-double in the very next game, tallying 19 points, 17 rebounds, and a career-best 11 blocked shots in another match-up against Mureşan and the Bullets. In April, Bradley posted back-to-back triple-doubles (against
Boston and
Toronto); in the process, he became the first player in NBA history to record consecutive games of double-figure blocked shots twice in a single season. His season averages for 1995–96 were 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game—all career highs. The Nets began the 1996–97 season under new management:
John Calipari was named head coach in the off-season, and
John Nash replaced
Willis Reed as general manager. Reed had been a big believer in Bradley, but Calipari and Nash weren't nearly as excited about the 7-foot-6 enigma. In an effort to save some cash against the salary cap, the Nets traded their big center (and his big contract) to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster mid-season deal that involved nine players.
Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005) Bradley embraced yet another "fresh start" with a new franchise. With increased playing time in Dallas, Bradley posted some of the best numbers of his career. In a game against the Clippers, he tied his career high by scoring 32 points—the most ever by a center in the history of the Mavericks franchise. He also added a season-high 16 rebounds in that same contest. He finished the year with averages of 13.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game—breaking career highs set during the previous season. But most importantly, Bradley provided strong defense in the paint that Dallas had been lacking before his arrival. In fact, Bradley finished the year as the top shot-blocker in the entire league, averaging 3.4 swats per contest. It was the first time any Mavericks player had ever led the NBA in any statistical category. And yet, Bradley continued to be plagued by the maddening inconsistency that defined his entire professional career. During the 1997–98 season, Dallas coach
Jim Cleamons experimented by bringing Bradley off the bench in several games (instead of his usual role as starter). In one particular game, it paid off in a major way: Bradley totaled 22 points, 22 rebounds, and a career-high 13 blocked shots in an April contest against the Trail Blazers. Bradley became the fifth NBA player to record at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game, and the first to do so off the bench. == National team career ==