Oh my god! A severe car accident led to double below-knee amputations! The 2.29-meter NBA giant is now paralyzed!

Today, the Mavericks faced the Pelicans on the road, a battle between the bottom two teams in the Western Conference.

Kidd has temporarily compromised and stopped his crazy experiments.

Clay, who has been in poor form lately (averaging just 8.1 points and shooting 31.2%), is now coming off the bench! This marks his first substitute appearance since joining the Mavericks.

As predicted earlier, until the Euro star returns, Russell will most likely start as the primary point guard.

This means that the top draft pick, Flagg, can return to his familiar 3-4 position.

As for the results, it can only be said that without the three main players Irving, Davis, and Reaves, the Mavericks still have tough times ahead...

During the offseason, expectations for him were very high, and the roster looked intimidating.

At that time, the boss said: The Mavericks are the team with the highest uncertainty...

But today, let's mainly talk about an old acquaintance:“Big Bamboo Pole” Shawn Bradley.

Old Rockets fans would definitely recognize this name.

Why bring him up all of a sudden?

As a former player, he came to watch the Mavericks game today, but he arrived in a wheelchair...

On January 20, 2021, he was hit from behind by a car while cycling near his home, resulting in traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed and led to double leg amputations..

After the accident, he underwent long-term treatment and rehabilitation. Although his life was saved, his physical condition severely deteriorated, and he now lives in a wheelchair.

The accident sparked discussions about retirement protections for professional athletes and cycling safety. The Mavericks also pledged support for his recovery at the time.

Ah... life is unpredictable.

Seeing the once tall and slender “Big Bamboo Pole” now overweight immediately brought back many memories.

The most iconic moment was undoubtedly when McGrady posterized him.

That was Game 2 of the 04-05 Rockets vs. Mavericks playoff series.

At 5:07 in the first quarter, McGrady accelerated from the corner, drove past Nowitzki, and, facing the 2.29-meter Shawn Bradley’s defense, executed a stunning dunk...

This scene later became a “poster” hanging in countless Chinese basketball fans’ rooms.

After retiring, McGrady once apologized to Bradley on social media: “Sorry, Shawn Bradley!”

Twenty years have flown by in a blink.

That series, where the Rockets led 2-0 but were ultimately overturned, is still vivid in memory.

But as we grew up, we should also try to see from “Big Bamboo Pole’s” perspective — that dunk was a huge psychological shadow for him, frequently replayed by the media...

It was after that playoff season that Bradley, suffering from a severe knee injury, chose to retire.

He went to a school in Utah that helps troubled youth get back on track, serving as vice principal and sports director for ten years.

Another memory of “Big Bamboo Pole” is from Yao Ming’s rookie season.

In his ninth game, coming off the bench, Yao scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots, helping the Rockets beat the Mavericks.

From then on, Yao became a starter.

His matchup opponent was none other than “Big Bamboo Pole”… that game truly boosted Yao’s confidence immensely.

One major impression of this player was that he was extremely tall but very skinny, with poor physical strength, struggling in physical contests.

However, if you simply think of Shawn Bradley as just a “designated” punching bag, you are seriously mistaken.

This guy was the 1993 NBA second overall pick, played for the 76ers, Nets, and Mavericks (then known as the Dallas Mavericks), appearing in 832 regular-season games with averages of 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.

After joining the Mavericks in 1997, he averaged 13.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks, leading the league in blocks.

On April 17, 1998, “Big Bamboo Pole” recorded a massive triple-double with 22 points, 22 rebounds, and 13 blocks in a single game.

Bradley now holds American citizenship.

However, he was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, and teamed up with Nowitzki to compete in world championships, winning a bronze medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

Today’s German national team, crowned World Cup and EuroBasket champions, has produced many talents like Schröder and Wagn­er.

But thinking carefully, “Big Bamboo Pole” Shawn Bradley remains the highest NBA draft pick in the history of German basketball, right?