Avery Bradley

Avery Antonio Bradley Jr. (born November 26, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player.

Bradley was born on November 26, 1990, in Tacoma, Washington, to Avery Bradley Sr. and Alicia Jones-Bradley.

He has two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger brother.

His mother worked in a welfare office, while his father had a 22-year military career.

After the two divorced in 2001, Bradley lived with his mother but maintained a strong relationship with his father, whose career took him all over the country.

He became a Texas Longhorns fan when he lived in Arlington from 2001 to 2004.

He and his family left Texas for Tacoma in the summer of 2004, before the start of his eighth grade year.

Bradley played on the same AAU team as future Celtics teammate Isaiah Thomas.

Bradley was ranked among the top high school basketball players in the class of 2009.

ESPNU 100 rated him No. 1 nationally, and he was rated No. 4 by Rivals.com and No. 5 by Scout.com.

Bradley propelled Findlay College Prep to the National High School Basketball championship game against Oak Hill Academy, winning the contest 56–53.

After leading Findlay to the title, Bradley was named National High School Basketball Player of the Year by Parade Magazine.

He played against the nation's best high school players at the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game and won the McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest.

Before transferring to Findlay Prep for his senior campaign, Bradley was a three-year starter at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington; and he, together with University of Washington recruit Abdul Gaddy, led Bellarmine Prep to the Class 4A State Semifinals with a 25–4 mark as a junior.

Bradley attended the University of Texas at Austin.

Bradley found the Texas Longhorns basketball program appealing in part because he had spent parts of his childhood in Arlington, where he became a fan of T. J. Ford.

As a freshman in 2009–10, Bradley averaged 11.6 points for the Longhorns and established himself as one of the top defensive guards in the country.

He subsequently earned Big 12 All-Rookie Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.

He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns before being drafted 19th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA draft.

With the Celtics, he was twice recognized as an NBA All-Defensive Team member.

Bradley has also played for the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets.

In April 2010, Bradley declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Bradley was selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.

On July 2, 2010, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics.

The same day, he underwent successful ankle surgery and subsequently missed the 2010 NBA Summer League.

Still just 19 years old, Bradley joined a Celtics team that was one of the best in the Eastern Conference.

He did not see his first regular season action until the fourteenth game of the season, a 23-point win over the Atlanta Hawks in which Bradley scored two points and committed two turnovers.

On January 14, 2011, Bradley was assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League and on the same day made his debut game for the team, playing 21 minutes and scoring 11 points.

Following a spinal cord injury to Marquis Daniels during a game against the Orlando Magic on February 6, 2011, Bradley was recalled by the Boston Celtics on February 7, and joined the team for the game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

In the one Celtics game of Bradley's rookie season in which he played more than 15 minutes, Bradley scored 20 points to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

However, he played ten or more minutes in just two other NBA games and did not appear in any of the Celtics' postseason contests.

On June 30, 2011, the Celtics exercised their third-year team option on Bradley's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2012–13 season.

In October 2011, Bradley signed with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League for the duration of the NBA lockout.

He played three games with the team, averaging 13.7 points per game.

During the 2011–12 NBA season, Bradley enjoyed much more playing time and was promoted to a starting role following an injury to Ray Allen.

Bradley's scoring output increased significantly during the season, and he managed a career-high 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks on April 20, 2012.

He also received praise for his tremendous hustle and defense, including memorable blocks on Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook, among others.

However, Bradley suffered a dislocated shoulder during the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

This injury, which led to season-ending surgery, was a significant setback to the Celtics, who lost in seven games to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.

On October 30, 2012, the Celtics exercised their fourth-year team option on Bradley's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2013–14 season.