Ex-NBA player Bradley paralyzed
Former NBA player Shawn Bradley disclosed on Wednesday that he was paralyzed two months ago when he was struck from behind by a vehicle while riding a bike near his Utah home.
The statement issued through the Dallas Mavericks on behalf of the 48-year-old Bradley was the first public acknowledgement of the incident involving the second overall pick in the 1993 draft by Philadelphia.
The 7-foot-6 Bradley was riding his bike about a block from his home in St. George, Utah, on Jan. 20, when he was struck, causing a traumatic spinal cord injury, the statement said. Bradley has been hospitalized since the accident, undergoing neck fusion surgery and rehabilitation.
Bradley spent the last eightplus seasons of his 12-year career with the Mavericks, who acquired him as part of a nine-player trade with the New Jersey Nets in 1997. HEAT SENDING LEONARD TO THUNDER FOR ARIZA >> The Miami Heat have agreed to trade Meyers Leonard and a future secondround pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Trevor Ariza.
Leonard has been away from the Heat for more than a week after a video surfaced of him using an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a video game. He apologized for the incident, which was roundly criticized by the Heat, Jewish groups and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who fined Leonard $50,000 and barred him from being around the Heat for one week.
Women’s basketball
UCONN FROSH BUECKERS LEADS WOMEN’S AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM >> Paige Bueckers earned a spot on The Associated Press women’s basketball All-American team. She’s only the third freshman to make the AP team, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and UConn’s Maya Moore.
Bueckers received 28 first place votes from the national panel of 30 media members that vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll. She was joined by Dana Evans of Louisville, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, Rhyne Howard of Kentucky and NaLyssa Smith of Baylor.
Golf
BERGER WITHDRAWS FROM THE HONDA CLASSIC >> Daniel Berger withdrew from The Honda Classic, the PGA Tour announced. Berger, 27, had an MRI on his injured rib on Tuesday afternoon. The four-time PGA Tour winner is listed as No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, making him the highest-ranked player in the field at The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Berger admitted on Sunday that he has been dealing with pain in his rib over the last two weeks. The West Palm Beach area resident finished with an 8-underpar 280 to end up in a tie for ninth place at The Players Championship.