Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (born July 28, 1943, Crystal City, Missouri, U.S.) is a former basketball player who had a Hall of Fame career before becoming a politician. Bradley won two NBA titles with the New York Knicks (1970, 1973) and later represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate (1979–97). He also staged an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2000 presidential election.

Basketball career

Bradley began to play basketball at age nine and became one of the best players in Missouri high school basketball history. At Princeton University, Bradley, a forward, was a playmaker and high scorer, averaging 30.1 points a game during three seasons. He led the team to three straight Ivy League titles, earning All-American recognition each time. He was the first basketball player to win the Amateur Athletic Union’s Sullivan Award for the amateur athlete of the year (1965). He played on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

After graduation Bradley deferred a contract offer from the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association in order to study at Oxford University (M.A. 1968) as a Rhodes scholar. He joined the Knicks during the 1967–68 season and played with them until his retirement in 1977. During Bradley’s career the Knicks won two NBA championships (1970, 1973), with disciplined, aggressive defense. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

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Bradley wrote two books about his NBA experiences: Life on the Run (1977) covers professional basketball players during two weeks of the 1973–74 season, and Values of the Game (1998) contains essays in which Bradley reflects on the qualities necessary to succeed at both basketball and life.

Politics and later activities

After his retirement from professional basketball, Bradley immediately turned to politics. Without having held a lesser office he was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 1978 and served three six-year terms. A liberal Democrat, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. presidency on January 12, 1999, but lost the Democratic nomination to Al Gore.

Bradley later taught at several universities, including Stanford. He also advised companies. In 2025 Pres. Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal. The statement announcing his selection stated:

Raised in small-town Missouri, Bill Bradley showed a dedication to basketball that would define his courage, discipline, and selflessness. A two-time NBA Champion and Hall-of-Fame New York Knick, he served three terms as a United States Senator from New Jersey and was a candidate for president, advancing tax reform, water rights, civil rights, and more, while still today seeking to deepen our common humanity with humility and heart.