Shawn Bradley
A 7-foot-6 defensive giant whose shot-blocking presence in the paint defined his NBA career for over a decade.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American basketball player·Birthday: March 22·Generation X
Biography
Born in Germany to American parents, Shawn Bradley's extraordinary height made him a basketball prodigy long before he entered the NBA. After a single standout season at Brigham Young University, he was selected second overall in the 1993 draft. His professional journey took him from Philadelphia to New Jersey and finally to Dallas, where he found his most stable role. While his offensive game was often limited, Bradley's true impact was as a rim protector; his long arms and timing made him one of the league's most feared shot-blockers. His career, spanning twelve seasons, was a study in adapting a unique physical gift to the highest level of the sport, and he remains one of the tallest players to ever grace the court. After retiring, he has been involved in philanthropy and community work in Utah.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Shawn was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Shawn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Shawn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the NBA in blocks during the 1996-97 season with the New Jersey Nets.
- Recorded over 2,000 career blocked shots, ranking among the league's all-time leaders.
- Played a key defensive role for the Dallas Mavericks team that reached the 2003 Western Conference Finals.
Did You Know?
He served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia before attending college.
He is an accomplished pianist.
His height of 7 feet 6 inches is tied for the second-tallest in NBA history.
“My height was a gift, but I had to learn to use it.”
