Shawn Bradley reportedly paralyzed after car accident near home

The Dallas Mavericks issued a press release on Wednesday afternoon, sharing the news of a tragic car accident involving former NBA center Shawn Bradley. According to the Mavs, with whom he played from 1997 through 2005, the former shot-blocking leader is paralyzed from the accident.

Per the release, Bradley was, “Struck from behind by an automobile while riding his bicycle a mere block from his home in St. George, Utah. The accident caused a traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. After undergoing neck fusion surgery, Bradley has spent the last eight weeks hospitalized and undergoing rehabilitation.”

Mavericks CEO Mark Cuban and President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson are also quoted in the team release, with Cuban saying Bradley will always be part of the Mavs family. Nelson echoed the sentiment, calling him a Maverick for life.

After being drafted second overall in 1993, the 7-foot-6 Bradley spent 12 years in the NBA, playing for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets before retiring in 2005. He posted career averages of 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, and he led the NBA in blocked shots during the 1996-97 season with 3.4 rejections per contest.