Kobe, LeBron as large as the highest paid player in the NBA

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport

almost a dominating performance impressively against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night, it seems that no one beat the Miami Heat, LeBron James on the floor.

When it comes to who the money back from the field, but King James is still king.
Forbes.com on an assessment of the top 50 athletes in the world, Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant and controls on the James paid. Forbes said Bryant has won $ 53,000,000 in the last 12 months, 5 million more than James $ 48,000,000.

Bryant and James are the only two NBA players among the top 10 Golfer Tiger Woods, No. 1 in 75 million.
Bryant leads to 15 basketball players in the list, more than any other sport. Bryant has Turkish Airlines and Mercedes-Benz Smart Car, its portfolio of passage this year. Its U.S. $ 24,800,000 salary with the Lakers in Los Angeles is 4 million more than any other player in the NBA. No. 3 on the list is Miami Heat, LeBron James, who won $ 48,000,000 last year.
cheap custom jerseys
As James seems ready to win his first NBA title this month, could surpass Bryant - and perhaps even Woods - here in the future. A recent report indicated that the heat of a championship would mean a profit of $ U.S. billion in China and Nike James Bryant was also able to move in on the popularity scale in this critical market.
custom nba jerseys 
The next best player in the NBA in the Forbes list of the Houston Rockets, Yao Ming decent, ranked 18, to 27.7 million euros. Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard is ranked No. 19 in 27.6 million euros. Dwyane Wade, Heat-mate James and the New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony are the other NBA players who appear in the top 25.

Pat Riley in shadows, but there for LeBron, Wade

The role is different this time for Pat Riley.

Unlike during the Heat's championship run through the 2006 NBA Finals, Riley now serves solely as team president instead of coach and president.

That, guard Dwyane Wade said Tuesday, changes the tenor of the conversation.

"You could be laying down in the training room and doing something somewhere and he just shows up and you start talking about basketball, and he gives you his take, what he's seen," Wade said as he prepared for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. "As players, we like that better than when you get called upstairs."

Riley's office is one level above the main court at AmericanAirlines Arena, the same office he utilized as coach. The difference now is he is more measured mentor that maniacal motivator.

"When he comes around, you don't know when he's coming, he just shows up," Wade said. "And he says certain things at different times. I've had discussions with him, and it's not anything that's planned."

While Riley has shied from the media this season, he remains ubiquitous to his players.

"Coach Riley is very inspirational," Wade said. "He's the kind of guy, he's in the background, but he's around often. He talks, you listen, because of his knowledge of the game and also he's a leader.

"He's a leader, of this organization, as well. And we respect him. I think he's done a great job of putting together a pretty good team and coming in at the right times. When he feels the need to express himself to us, he has done it."

While some of the messages can grow redundant, especially for a player such as Wade, who also endured the lean years under Riley's coaching in the wake of that 2006 championship, for LeBron James, this is all new, and refreshing.

"Knowing the players that he's coached and just to hear some of the stories about Magic, Kareem and those guys that he had in L.A., and get an opportunity to talk about their leadership, as well, on the court, it's great," James said of Riley's reflections on his coaching tenure of the championship Showtime Lakers.

"It's great to hear those stories instead of just watching the playback on TV, to actually hear the day-to-day stories of those great Hall of Famers."

Like Wade, James said he views Riley as a resource.

"Having him around is amazing, to be able to go and talk to someone, if need be," James said. "And it's not always just about basketball, it's about anything. So we're blessed to have him around, this organization is blessed to have him, period."

Split priorities for Miller

Reserve swingman Mike Miller found himself on the move Tuesday, first attending shootaround, then a doctor's visit for his newborn daughter, then back to the arena for Game 1. Miller's daughter was born two weeks ago with a heart defect. "Part of life, part of business," he said of his day. He offered thanks to well-wishers, adding, "Anybody's who's had a newborn knows you don't have rest." . . .

Wade, on his earliest memory of 38-year-old Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd, "I think I was watching him in black and white. It seems so long ago." . . .

Bosh, on whether he ever practices awkward shots like those from Mavericks counterpart Dirk Nowitzki, "No. While I'm still athletic, I'm going to ride the wheels until they fall off and then maybe when I'm 30-something, I'll probably change my game. But for now, I just have a little bit more athleticism left and I'll use it while I can." . . .

Coach Erik Spoelstra, on his sleeping habits, and the nocturnal habits of most coaches this time of year, "I think everyone has a pad and paper next to their bed. There might be something wrong with us in the coaching profession."

Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder Trend Toward NBA Title One Step at a Time

http://www.sikids.com/
It’s a whole lot easier to sound smart when things are going well. Sam Presti keeps sounding smarter and smarter. The Oklahoma City Thunder general manager put coach Scott Brooks in charge, drafted Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and, not coincidentally, has seen the team go from miserable to title contender in just a couple of years.

Now the question becomes: When will the Thunder get to the point where they win it all? Presti says it has been no surprise that the Thunder have steadily improved, going from a 23-win team in his second year to the playoffs in his third to the Western Conference Finals this year.

But Presti, though he is a numbers guy, says it’s impossible to predict when his young core of players will reach their peak. That said, it’s pretty clear they don’t have much further to go as they are already true contenders.
Sam Presti joined The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City with Al and John to discuss the steady improvement of the team, the criticism of Russell Westbrook, whether he intends to keep the roster intact, a recap of the Kendrick Perkins trade, how the lack of a CBA affects his daily work going forward, the support from the people of Oklahoma City, the upcoming draft and the future of his young core of players.

What would he have said to someone two years ago if they said the Thunder would be in the Western Conference Finals in 2011?:

“I’d say that I would hope they were correct. … I think one thing that we learned during that year was never to underestimate our guys. Us in our building, us in our practice facility and us in our office, one of the things we’ve always prided ourselves is always just focusing on the day at hand and trying to improve. Through that season, I think a lot of our recent success was born … in the fact that the group as the whole just kept chipping away.”

His thoughts on the national criticism of Russell Westbrook:
 customized jerseys cheap
“You’re only human if you know it’s there. Once you get to this point in the year, there’s only a couple teams or a couple series playing and that’s part of it. One thing we really learned about Russell through that process, or one thing that was confirmed, he’s an incredibly resilient person. … I think the other thing we learned is he’s really only focused on the things that he can control. … I think he deserves a lot of respect as a second-team all-NBA player, a 22-year-old point guard in the Western Conference Finals, in being self-critical.”

Does he want to keep this roster intact for next season?:

“Always we’re looking for ways to improve and we’ll take some time over the next weeks and months to look at all of our decisions. One of the things we’ve consistently said is we want to be a team capable of lasting success. Part of that is continuity, part of that is allowing things to take place. … I think the better word is evolutional, and this team is evolving. … We feel good about where we are.”

Evaluating the trade for Kendrick Perkins now that the season is over:

“Obviously when you make a trade like that you’re making it for a lot of different reasons. … It was a chance to not only get a player who understands the finer points of the games, understands how high-performing teams work, especially the defensive end. But to get someone like that, at that position, at 26 years old, was something we were very excited about. … We know and we knew when we made the trade that he was on pace in his recovery but he wasn’t going to be 100 percent. … You never heard Kendrick complain or make an excuse that, although he was deep into his rehab, it wasn’t completed. We like the fact that his standards never changed.”

How much might he be handcuffed by the uncertainty of the CBA at this point?:

“When it comes to those situations and just the labor agreement in general, I really have to defer to the league on that. … We were back at work the day after we were eliminated from the postseason, focused on the following year. … We had a large number of guys back at our facility a couple days after and I think that’s one of the strengths of our team.”

Has the city of Oklahoma City surprised him at all in their support of the franchise?:
custom hockey jerseys
“I’d like to be able to say it surprised me, but before moving here I had heard so many great things about this community. Moving here only confirmed that for everybody. Our fans are unbelievably supportive. They’re passionate and they’re compassionate, because I really feel as if they care about our players as people as well. … That’s not lost on the players or the players that have played here.”

What is he looking for in the draft this time around?:

“Obviously we’re going to pick 24th this year. We do not have a second-round pick. … We’re going to see what we can do with that selection. The pick can be used in any number of ways. Obviously we can take a player, we can trade it for a player, we can trade it for a future pick. … Where we always start out, first and foremost, is trying to find people we feel like can fit our organization.”

At what age does he expect his young group to peak?:

“That’s a great question and I wish I could tell you there was a way for us to predict that. There really isn’t. One thing we know is this, the experiences that we’re accumulating over time are really helping our players in the area of recognition, recognizing the things that high-performing teams do on a consistent basis. When you have those players, I don’t necessarily think their improvement is a result of time elapsed, but it’s actually what’s been accumulated, what’s been experienced within that time.”

BY ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

 “Everybody loved him,” Ilgauskas said.

That was 2003, the year LeBron James was drafted straight out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron to play for the nearby Cleveland Cavaliers. That was when James was the NBA’s freshest face, his limitless potential and positive image — even after some controversy in high school — inspiring Nike to sign him to a $90 million endorsement contract before he had even participated in an NBA training camp. That was before James emerged as a legitimate superstar, took the Cavaliers to the NBA finals, won two MVP awards … and then announced during a one-hour national television special that he was taking his talents to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.
That before James became a pariah to many in his home state and the most polarizing active athlete in the nation, his villain status cemented for many when the Heat hailed his arrival with a garish, raucous signing ceremony and he responded by flexing and promising “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven titles.”

Now James is closer to a title than he has ever been, making his first trip to the NBA finals since 2007, and with a much stronger supporting cast — including a sidekick (Dwyane Wade) who has already won an NBA finals MVP.
So what if he wins?
Will he start winning in the court of public opinion again?

“Everywhere else but Northeast Ohio, yes,” said Ilgauskas, the 15-year veteran who joined James in Miami. “Because the move, it makes sense. He said it was hard to leave home, he didn’t want to leave, but it was all about the winning. He wanted to win, and this presented the best opportunity. So if that comes true, then there’s not much you can say. Because he got the job done, it puts a stamp on it.”

Steve Kerr, a five-time NBA champion who covered the Eastern Conference finals for TNT, agreed that, for many, the ends will justify the means.

And should.

“Then he breaks into the all-time great list,” Kerr said. “You can’t get there until you win a title. I think it changes everything for him.”

The negativity?

“I think a lot of that stuff will go away,” Kerr said. “It will never go away completely. But if he goes on and wins a title, any self-respecting basketball fan has to acknowledge his greatness, because the guy is a phenomenal player. The way he went about it was what got him into trouble. The decision itself was fine, he was a free agent, how can you blame him? He goes and plays with (Chris) Bosh and (Dwyane) Wade. They’re proving why they did it. They just didn’t handle it the right way at the time, and that started the avalanche.”
That is the line of demarcation many draw.
The decision, lower case.

The Decision, upper case.

The decision, as in choice, to leave Cleveland for Miami isn’t what bothered many as much as “The Decision,” the self-aggrandizing way he went about revealing it.

It hasn’t mattered to many that the ESPN event raised more than $2 million for charity, much of it used for computers at Boys and Girls Clubs around the country. Nor has it mattered that it reportedly wasn’t James’ idea; in his book, interviewer Jim Gray revealed that it was a collaborative creation between himself and the network. Nor has it mattered that James, over the course of the season, has repeatedly conceded that he could have handled the situation differently, and gone to even greater pains of late to explain.

Late on May 12, after the Heat eliminated the Boston Celtics in the second round, James emoted:
“I knew I had to go through Boston at some point. I went through a lot signing to be here. The way it panned out with all the friends and family and fans back home, I apologize for the way it happened. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. As much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland, as much as I loved home, I knew I couldn’t do it by myself against that team.”
And, then, late on May 26, after James advanced to the NBA finals for the first time since 2007, he elaborated further:

“I understand a lot of the backlash that came with me going to Miami, but I understand also that I did what was best for me, what was best for my family and what was best for me being a professional athlete. I understand what this league is all about. I wanted to team up with some guys that I understood that would never die down in the moment. … You know, I'm happy. In anyone's job, they always try to find some way they can do their job and be happy doing it. And that's where I am right now in my life, as far as on the court and off the court.”

Where is the country, though?

Happy that he’s happy?

Happy that the team he fronts, the Heat, is on the verge of making good on its preseason promise, and promises?

Chandler, Stevenson become Mavs' stoppers

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/index.html
 Eleven years ago, Tyson Chandler sat in a high school gym south of Los Angeles and watched DeShawn Stevenson take a couple of dribbles past half-court and launch jumpers from ridiculously far beyond the 3-point line. This was a prelude to jogging back and waiting for his teammates to get the ball back for him.

Afterward, it was Stevenson's turn to watch Chandler, a reed-thin 7-footer take his turn trying to stop the nation's most coveted high school player, Eddie Griffin. What Stevenson saw was a player who preferred to be camped near the 3-point line rather than the basket, a player who at times looked lost against Griffin's refined game.
 
Fast forward, and Chandler and Stevenson, reunited as starters for the Dallas Mavericks, are hardly recognizable — and not just for their tattoos and beards.

They took the leap directly from high school to the NBA, but as the reality of life as pros set in, they have transformed themselves into players who earn their place on the court with defense.

In many ways, the modifications both players made to their games have been mirrored by the Mavericks, who for much of the decade have tried to win by outscoring opponents. It has been a workable formula in the regular season — Dallas has recorded 11 consecutive 50-win seasons — but it has led to a litany of playoff failures.

Now, thanks to Chandler's presence — and, to a lesser degree, Stevenson — the Mavericks have put enough bite in their defense to blow through the rugged Western Conference, including their blitz of the two-time defending champion Lakers, and into the NBA Finals, which begin Tuesday in Miami.

The role of Chandler and Stephenson will be important against the Heat.

Chandler will be the last line of defense against LeBron James' and Dwyane Wade's attacks on the rim, and he might also be charged with defending Chris Bosh.

Stephenson likely will defend Wade but, given his strength, could find himself on James, with whom he once sparred in a Cleveland-Washington playoff series.

The Mavericks' identity still comes from their scorers — Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry — but they have been trying to add a defensive element to their game with the hiring of Avery Johnson and then Rick Carlisle as head coach. The problem is when your centers for the past decade have been Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop and Shawn Bradley, it's hard to be taken seriously.

When Chandler arrived, he thought what most everyone else did about the Mavericks — they were soft.

"People have a misunderstanding about that," Chandler said. "They think if you're soft, you've got to throw punches and throw elbows and do dirty things. That's not what I mean.
custom jerseys 
"I mean, when it gets tough and it's this time of year and guys get up in you defensively, you've got to set hard screens, you've got to make hard cuts, you've got to execute down the stretch, you've got to not get rattled. You can't let them take you out of your game. You've got to get up in them defensively, (do) all the things people don't want to do basketball wise, all the effort things, all the dirty work. That's the difference."

As Stevenson noted, the Mavericks now have a number of players who can defend, but Caron Butler was hurt in January and hasn't returned, and Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion are past their primes.

In the playoffs, Chandler — he is a bulked-up forward but still possesses the calves of a giraffe and the waist of a ballerina — has stood up to Oklahoma City's hard-nosed Kendrick Perkins and the Lakers' bullish Andrew Bynum. Stevenson, though his shooting against the Thunder was woeful (6 for 28), gave the Mavericks a physical defender to throw at OKC's Russell Westbrook and LA's Kobe Bryant.

In many ways, Chandler and Stevenson have set the tone on defense.

"Guys bought into what we were trying to bring (because of) the success and the lack of success that a team has had," Chandler said. "They climbed all the way to the mountaintop and didn't get the ring. Then they had some disappointing losses early in the playoffs. So I think this team was definitely looking for something different. They understood, ‘OK, we can't just beat everybody offensively.'

"So when I came along, it was easier to get guys to buy in defensively because it's, ‘OK, we've tried it the other way and we haven't had success.' "

Neither player arrived in Dallas viewed as a difference maker.

Chandler's acquisition from Charlotte, which was eager to dump his $12 million salary, led to some head-scratching. Dallas had recently given its other center, Brendan Haywood, a six-year, $54 million contract.

Stevenson had been acquired with Haywood and Butler at the trade deadline last season. He was, as he admits, a throw-in — he was included only to help balance the salaries of Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross, who were sent to Washington.

Though he starts, Stevenson plays the minutes of a reserve — the latest adjustment he has made during a career full of them.
custom nfl jerseys  
"I used to score the ball a lot," said Stevenson, who grew up in Fresno, Calif., and was drafted by Utah at the No. 23 spot in 2000. "I got under (then-Utah coach) Jerry Sloan, and that's all he talked about was playing defense. Being on a veteran team like that, I wasn't getting the ball, so I had to try to do something else different to help. So I did the defensive thing, and it ended up sticking."

Chandler was taken second overall the next year by the Clippers and was immediately shipped to Chicago, where he struggled early in his career. Asked if he envisioned developing into a player like Nowitzki when he left high school, Chandler laughed.

"I can do nothing that he can do," Chandler said. "I was skilled on the perimeter for a big guy. He's skilled on the perimeter for a basketball player. When I first came into this league, I quickly found out that wasn't going to be my place."

For every Chandler and Stevenson, who have adjusted, there are others — Darius Miles and DerMarr Johnson come to mind — who have not. Basketball follows the principles of Darwin.

"I honestly think that's what separates guys that stick in this league (from) guys who don't," said Chandler, who also grew up in a central California town, Hanford, before moving to the Los Angeles area in middle school. "Some guys don't understand that and they're still stuck in the past and what they can do and this and that.

"In this league, you may come into the right situation, and you may get drafted to the right team to be able to have that kind of success offensively. But if you're not, you've just got to find a way to stick. DeShawn has done an incredible job of adjusting — he's played 11 years — and I feel like I've done the same."

Together, they have helped the Mavericks make an adjustment of their own — putting a little "D" back in Dallas.

LeBron James Proves He is the True MVP; Climbs One Step Closer to NBA Throne

 http://www.tsn.ca/
“I told my team, I’m not going to continue to fail late in games. … I told the guys that I just keep failing them late in games and I won’t continue to do that.”
Truer words have never been spoken by LeBron James. You know, the most vilified athlete in America despite never being arrested.
Doesn’t it speak volumes to the intellect and values of our nation’s sports fans when the most hated athlete/team in the country is one whose worst mistake all year was holding an ESPN special—a show that happened to make nearly $3 million for a charitable foundation?
Think about that for a minute. The worst thing James and this team have done all year resulted in Boys & Girls Clubs of America getting a huge check aimed at helping children.
We’re not talking about raping someone, being caught with guns, getting into altercations on South Beach, being tasered by cops, getting arrested for a DUI or anything illegal. This man has been squeaky clean, yet everyone feels the need to paint him black and tarnish his image.
So why does America hate LeBron?
It’s easy: They fear him. No one should really hate LeBron outside of Cleveland; you just wanted him for yourself, and when he said he was taking his talents to South Beach, you became envious and afraid.
To quote the wise one Yoda, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
Well, it certainly has led to suffering for all who doubted LeBron.
Did you think he was joking when he said he was making a list of all those that were getting in line for some major retribution?
Was there any doubt he truly would make good on his prediction of not one, not two, not three and so forth?
Well, for those that questioned his decision and play during the regular season, James is offering up a nice, hot cup of “shut the bleep up” so far this postseason.
On the day LeBron made that quote about not letting down his team, Miami had just finished dropping a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Chicago Bulls. It was yet another crushing defeat in a string of close losses that left some Heat players in tears.
“The Miami Heat are exactly where everyone wanted, losing games,” Wade said. “The world is better now because the Heat is losing.”
But amidst the flames that were seemingly consuming the team as they struggled for answers and victories, one message came across loud and clear.
“I told the guys that I just keep failing them late in games and I won’t continue to do that.”
No, LeBron, you sure haven’t.
 cheap custom jerseys 
“One of these days, we will break through,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Yes, Coach, we sure have.
Chicago had beaten Miami after being down by 12 late in the first half and “then became the fourth team since Feb. 24 to erase a double-digit deficit against the Heat.”
This was the quote that stuck out most: “We have guys who can close,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Perhaps Thibs meant that Miami has guys that can close, because James showed the world that while Derrick Rose may have a trophy that reads MVP, he withers in comparison to LeBron when the stakes are at their highest.
Rose went so far as to say that James can easily defend him. That’s waving a white flag in the face of a talent much stronger than yours.
Heck, we now have Scottie Pippen saying LeBron James “may be the greatest player to ever play.”
That is one of the top 50 players in NBA history saying that James, who he never played with and has never won a title, is better than Scottie’s own teammate and the man regarded as the G.O.A.T., Michael Jordan.
All of this hate sprung from a biased and bitter media that saw the reaction of Cavs fans and instantly began the LeBron backlash, portraying Cleveland as the victim and James as the villain. Yet as we get deeper into the playoffs, the rants and remarks of all the pundits, critics and cynics are being drowned out by the sweet swoosh of every late-game jumper that James drains.
Those shots and these clutch wins are drowning out all the negativity and naysayers.
Still, besides James’ ESPN special, what is there not to like about this team?
You have a guy playing with torn ligaments in his thumb, another rushing back from foot surgery to be with his team, three superstars who could all have commanded max money and attention sacrificing cash and image in order to achieve a greater good and a point guard that gave up almost $4 million just to compete for a ring.
Two players that gave up money to win a championship in their hometown. A young coach trying to stake his own legacy while being the padawan for one of the greatest leaders in league history. An owner that does everything in a low-key and classy manner, never needing to be shown on every single SportsCenter when his team plays.
Yet you hate?
custom nba jerseys  
Isn’t that what we ask of our athletes and teams? To not play for just money, to forsake their personal spotlight in order to be part of a team, to care more about winning than stats?
Miami gave you all that, and you still doubt.
Well, don’t look now, but the bad guy is about to win a title. When he does, you will all be invited to the castle to line up and kiss his royal derriere.
We knew what we were doing when we threw a party last summer.
This team came out and told you what they were going to do, and they’ve gone about taking care of their business. They said they were taking over, and they have.
Gone are the champions and ghosts of yesterday.
Eliminated are the media darling MVP and the most consistent squad all season.
Now all that is left is Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Millions of terrified fans will flock to the Mavs bandwagon, it serving as their last refuge from the fire that has swept across their land.
You will find no shelter there. The unstoppable force is on its way, led by the King that has yet to be crowned—but that’s only four more wins away.

Ex-NBA player Shawn Bradley is now a cowboy and aspiring politician

http://www.nba.com/
The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals and there's no bigger fan cheering them to a potential first league title than former center Shawn Bradley.
The 7-foot-6 self-described "freak of nature" spent nine years with the organization. He lives in Salt Lake City now, but spent the Western Conference finals trying to watch his old team in between numerous activities and spending time with his six children.
"The last time they were in the finals [in 2006] was the year after I retired," Bradley said. "That was very hard for me. Very difficult, having retired then watching my team go to the finals the next year… This year I'm enjoying it a lot more."
What else is the 39-year-old up to these days? A little bit of everything, as it turns out.
For starters, he's a part-time cowboy and owner of a ranch with 350 cattle. Of course, it's not easy finding a horse that can carry one of the tallest players in NBA history.
"Bless the horse's heart, the biggest challenge is finding a saddle that'll fit, and I had a guy help me make a saddle," Bradley said. "So we've got a saddle and a 16-hand horse is the smallest I can even consider."
Besides his days on the ranch, Bradley spends a lot of time giving back to others. He was recently named the chairman of the board for the nearby West Ridge Academy — which he describes as a boarding school for troubled youth — and he's heavily involved in the philanthropic organizations Rising Star Outreach and Children's Miracle Network.
Oh, and there was Bradley's run for the Utah House of Representatives as a Republican last fall in which he narrowly lost. He believes things would have turned out differently if he hadn't taken time off the campaign trail after his father passed away. He hasn't ruled out running for public office again and would welcome a political basketball game with President Barack Obama if the offer is ever extended.
But the most intriguing thing about Bradley might be how different he is off the court than the way people perceived him on it: Stiff, awkward and passive.
Bradley is talkative, engaging and loves to laugh. And nothing cracks him up like the Jimmer Fredette tribute video starring BYU legends such as Bradley that popped up on the Internet several months ago.
[Video: Shawn Bradley stars in Jimmer Fredette tribute]
"That was really terrible," Bradley joked. "The people that know me and the people that are honest with me say, 'What on earth were you doing?' Everyone else is like, 'That was cool.' "
Bradley says he's watched it just once and it makes him cringe seeing himself as a wig-wearing guitarist as part of the "Jimmer Jammers" and their rendition of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive."

customized jerseys cheap

"I'd much rather watch 'Space Jam' or something else that I've done," Bradley deadpanned.
Unfortunately, that's not the only embarrassing video of Bradley on the Internet. Basketball fans have made a habit over the years of putting together clips of Bradley getting dunked on throughout his NBA career. There was once even a "SportsCenter" top 10 of dunks in his grill; No. 1 is a montage of Shaquille O'Neal(notes) posterizing Bradley.
One ESPN writer was so harsh after Bradley's retirement in 2005 that he described Bradley was a "carnival attraction whose primary claim to fame was getting dunked on — hard, repeatedly — by a who's who of the NBA."
[Related: Blake Griffin's Top 10 college basketball dunks]
And then there are the videos of Bradley being body slammed by Golden State's Mark Davis in 2000 and getting punched in the face by Houston's Walt Williams less than three months later.
People have enjoyed using Bradley as a punching bag so much that the blogosphere even recently made fun of his stat-less performance in the aforementioned 1996 movie, "Space Jam."
The big man insists the videos and jokes don't bother him and points out that the videos only show part of the story.
"There's maybe one person [O'Neal] that I've ever played against who's dunked on me more than I've blocked their shots, so I'm OK with that," Bradley said. "But it's when the little guy dunks on the 7-foot-6 guy, that's the highlight, that's the fun thing, that's what people talk about. It's not when the 7-6 guy blocks the 6-5 guy. That's supposed to happen. That's not news."
And how does Bradley respond to critics who say he was too nice to be an NBA center, which resulted in him being on the wrong end of highlight clips?
"Well, you know what, I was who I am and I'm not going to change that," Bradley said.
custom hockey jerseys
One thing's for sure: No matter what Bradley did on the basketball court in the NBA, it always seemed to be overshadowed by what he couldn't do and how he couldn't live up to the hype — and height.
The expectations for Bradley were as enormous as his 7-foot-6 frame when he was selected second overall in the 1993 NBA draft.
Yes, he was dominant during his freshman season at BYU in 1991 when he averaged 14.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 5.2 BPG. But Bradley spent the next two years on a Mormon mission in Australia before suddenly becoming the face of the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise and receiving a $44 million contract.
[Related: Top 10 worst-dressed NBA draft picks ever]
Here's what scout Marty Blake, dubbed the "Godfather of the NBA Draft," had to say about Bradley at the time:  "There is no question in my mind about Shawn Bradley. Anybody who thinks differently doesn't know anything about basketball. There has never been a player like Shawn Bradley."
Bradley never lived up to that billing.
Berated by Philly fans and dubbed "Missionary Impossible," Bradley was traded to the New Jersey Nets in his third season and shipped to Dallas in 1997, where he spent the rest of his career before retiring in 2005.
While Bradley never became a dominant big man, made an All-Star game or lived up to being the second overall pick, it should be noted that he played 12 seasons in the league, averaged 8.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG during that time and finished with over 2,000 blocked shots.
"Whether I lived up to people's expectations of changing the game or franchise or what not, look: I went out, I worked hard, I didn't fib or lie or cheat anyone," Bradley said. "I just went and I worked hard and said, 'This is what I have. If you can use it, great. If not, fine.' And I was there for 12 years and I retired on my terms. So I look at it as very successful and I'm very proud of it."
And while fans have enjoyed using Bradley as a punch line over the years, it was Bradley that laughed all the way to the bank. He made approximately $70 million during his NBA career, which has allowed him to enjoy retirement and give back to those around him.
Not bad for a carnival attraction.