Bill Bradley
(Born 1943)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1983
Card Shown:
2005 Topps
All-Time Fan Favorites
Position: SF
Height: 6’5″
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Bill Bradley, “Dollar Bill,” was a star basketball player at Princeton University before playing ten years in the NBA with the New York Knicks. He was always much more interested in the success of his teams than he was with earning individual accolades. Bill is one of two players (Manu Ginobili is the other) who won a Euroleague title, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship. After his retirement from the game, Bradley went on to become a U.S. Senator representing the state of New Jersey, to write political books, and to run for President.
Awards and Honors
- After the completion of his studies in England, Bill played basketball for the Olimpia Milano team in the Italian league and led them to the 1966-67 European Championship.
- Bradley was a key player in two NBA Championships won by the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. The 1970 team included Hall of Fame players Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed. The 1973 team included those three players as well as Jerry Lucas and Earl Monroe.
- Bill was selected as an NBA All-Star in 1973 when he averaged a career-best 16.1 points per game and helped propel the Knicks to the NBA title.
- At Princeton, Bradley was an NCAA AP All-America selection three consecutive years from the 1962-63 through 1964-65 seasons.
- In 1964, Bill was the captain of the U.S. Olympic basketball team which captured the gold medal at the games in Tokyo, Japan.
Points of Interest
- During his freshman year at Princeton, Bill made 57 free throws in a row, a feat that had never been accomplished in college or pro basketball at the time.
- On March 30, 1965, Bradley scored 58 points playing for Princeton in a game against Wichita State, setting a record for the most points scored in a men’s NCAA basketball game.
- After graduating from Princeton, Bill was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and studied for two years at Oxford University in England before returning to play basketball with the Knicks. According to the website rhodesscholar.org, “Rhodes Scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements, but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead.”
- Bradley served as a United States Senator for eighteen years from 1979-1997 and later launched an unsuccessful bid to become the Democratic nominee for president in 2000.
- Bill finished his professional basketball career with averages of 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Statistics
Bill Bradley Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com