Being a surprise contributor, Tony Bradley provided the Indiana Pacers with some great depth in their Eastern Conference Finals win over the New York Knicks. The backup center had quite a long journey to reach this point. One of his many stops was against his NBA Finals opponent.
As the baseball saying goes, Bradley had a cup of coffee on the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was part of a multi-player trade that sent him to the then-rebuilding squad for the final two months of the 2020-21 season. He averaged 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 22 games.
Bradley had a front-row view of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s climb to the top of the NBA. They never played a game together as Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the final two months of the season with plantar fasciitis, but he still saw glimpses of what he’d eventually blossom into four years later.
“Honestly, he’s the same player. When I was here, he was just getting more recognition,” Bradley said. “Of course, he’s improved since I’ve been with him, but I’ve seen the potential was there. But yeah, great player.”
It’s always interesting to hear the perspective from Gilgeous-Alexander’s former teammates before he ascended into an MVP winner. Very few saw him develop into a premium 30-point scorer in just three seasons after he was dealt to OKC.
Even though Bradley’s tenure with the Thunder was forgettable, what he thought of his former teammate at the time was always going to be a fun response to hear about. Just goes to show how unpredictable a player’s path can be.