'You Can Find Triumph in Tragedy': Mavs Ex Shawn Bradley Speaks on Life-Changing Injury

In life, when tragedy strikes, sometimes the pressure can be too much for an individual to overcome. In the case of former Dallas Mavericks big man Shawn Bradley, though, he's proved to be one of the strongest and resilient people we've ever seen.

In January 2021, Bradley was in a bike accident near his Utah home, where a vehicle hit him from behind. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury that ultimately left him paralyzed, despite many rehab attempts. Although the situation seems impossible, Bradley, like many times throughout his playing career, isn't afraid of taking on a challenge.

"You can find triumph in tragedy. It's important to realize that even though you go through hard things in life, you can be positive through them. And yes, they are going to be trying and they are going to be difficult, but they can also be for our good. They can refine us and make us who we are," Bradley told DFW's NBC 5.

"One of the things I'm proud of, the good fans say, 'Shawn you didn't back away from anybody.' If Shaq was going to dunk on you, sometimes you blocked it, a lot of times you didn't. But I tried to block everything and if I got dunked on I got dunked on, but if I blocked it, even better."

As Bradley continues to adapt to his new reality, he and his wife have leaned on their faith and made a concerted effort to move forward with a positive attitude. Although he can no longer be active like he once was, Bradley still enjoys going to games and seeing old Mavs teammates and competitors ... and he's also been able to use the Mavs as a therapy and rehab resource.

"Coming here to Dallas and watching those (Mavs playoff) games, I just have to say it was exponentially emotional," said Bradley, who is currently in the process of moving to Dallas full-time. "It wasn't a 'Woe is me. I'm sad I can't do this anymore.' It was that I was excited to see the guys play, to see old friends and competitors."

Whether Bradley ever has a big breakthrough or not, his fight has been nothing short of inspiring. Hopefully, after his move, we'll be seeing even more of Bradley around American Airlines Center going forward.

You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg

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