Though William “Refrigerator” Perry frequently thought of food, he could provide for thought, too. Between bites one day, he volunteered that it was a problem, being big even when he was little.
Now along comes Shawn Bradley, also of Philadelphia, to second the notion. Sprouting early and often, Bradley started to walk when he was about 9 months old. His feet, however, didn’t always check with the rest of his body.
“People looked at me and figured I was probably 3,” Bradley said. “They thought something was wrong, that maybe I was handicapped.”
Bradley recently signed a $44 million contract, so don’t fear for his future. Still, there is this concept around the NBA that he is unsafe at any speed, can’t chew gum and dribble at the same time, as awkward as an octopus trying to set up a beach chair. When you’re 7-6, in other words, it is not impossible for critics to look down on you. You’re a freak, a sideshow, a skyscraper with no foundation.
Customers at the Stadium Monday might have gotten warm, but they didn’t get a circus act. If they wanted a game, they were disappointed, too, because Bradley and the 76ers got their liberty bells rung 121-91 by the Bulls. The 76ers have lost their last two outings by a total of 73 points, which might explain why coach Fred Carter theorized that they’ve “hit a wall.” They seem better equipped to hit that than a basket.
But all mediocre teams, and there are at least a dozen of them in the NBA, have to build from somewhere. Bradley, the No. 2 choice in last summer’s draft, is Philadelphia’s project, and where there is height, there is hope. He scored a mediocre team-best 18 points for 27 minutes, and certainly not because of altitude alone. There’s an aptitude there, too, from the 15-foot range, where Bradley seems infinitely more comfortable than discussing his dimensions.
“I’m holding at about 245 pounds, I’m stronger than I used to be but not as strong as I want to be,” Bradley said. “Do I eat? Do I eat. Anything I can get my hands on. The only thing that’s off limits is diet food.”
Bradley’s daily intake can reach 7,000 calories, which might sound like grazing as usual for Ironhead Heyward, but it’s death to dishwashers. It also might serve as warning to the rest of the league that if and when Bradley stops growing, he might continue to mature. Among Monday’s courtside observers was his white-haired eminence, Dick Versace, former coach, forever raconteur.
“Did you see that pass the kid just made?” Versace said. “The diagonal pass to find someone when he’s double-teamed. It took Patrick Ewing years to learn that. He was forever getting it picked off. I think this kid will be a force before it’s all over. He might be overwhelmed by it all physically now, but don’t forget, this is basically his sophomore year in college.”
Bradley played one season at Brigham Young, where he averaged 15 points and eight rebounds while blocking 177 shots, an NCAA record for freshmen. He promptly packed his size 16 shoes to become a Mormon missionary in Australia. He’s worldly beyond his years, yet the 24-second clock stops for no one. He’s obviously rough around the edges. Bradley got a quick hook Monday, not because he turned the ball over, but because he froze on defense.
“He has his ups and downs, as you’d expect,” said Carter. “But he’s improving, and it’s good to see him score some points. It’s a positive experience for him to draw on, especially since he’s had so few negative experiences. He’s 21. He’s just starting out.”
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Will Perdue, his opposing center, thinks of Bradley as Manute Bol with markedly better skills.
“You know when you’re young, and someone holds a broom in front of you to shoot over?” Perdue said. “That’s what it’s like playing against him. I missed my first shot and he was nowhere near the play, but he’s always on your mind. Or at least, over it.”
And Shawn Bradley is still filling out. So many more Philadelphia cheese steaks to go before he sleeps.