Shawn Bradley says he continues to battle suicidal thoughts since the bicycle crash that left the 7-foot-6 former NBA center paralyzed one year ago.
'Maybe it'd be better if this was just all over,' Bradley told Sports Illustrated. 'Yes, those thoughts creep in -- and they're real. I can't ever imagine myself acting on those thoughts, but I definitely have them.'
Seeing former teammates, like longtime Dallas Mavericks star Michael Finley, has been particularly tough for Bradley.
'It's hard for me to let them see me like this,' Bradley told SI, reportedly holding back tears. 'It's the challenge of remembering what once was… and knowing it'll never be the same.'
The January 20, 2021 crash occurred when a minivan rear-ended his bike on one of his regular rides near his home at the time in St. George, Utah. The 49-year-old landed on a parked car, resulting in damaged vertebrae in his neck.
Since then, Bradley has been paralyzed from the neck down and now moves with the help of a motorized wheelchair.
Bradley and his family did not reveal the crash publicly until March of 2021, and many details from the incident weren't known until the former BYU star and second-overall draft spoke with SI recently.
Shawn Bradley says he continues to battle suicidal thoughts since the bicycle crash that left the 7-foot-6 former NBA center paralyzed one year ago. In this 2021 picture, Bradley is seen smiling after getting McDonald's delivered to him following the bicycle crash
Bradley is now continuing his rehabilitation in Dallas with the help of his wife Carrie and her three children, whom he has adopted. (Bradley has six children from a previous marriage)
Bradley pictured as he was stretched into an ambulance following his 2020 bike crash
Prior to entering the NBA, the former BYU star famously did a two-year mission in Australia before entering the draft and being taken with the second pick by Philadelphia. Naturally, the 76ers gave their new 7-foot-6 center the No. 76 jersey
As he explained, Bradley was riding his custom bicycle through a roundabout near his home, when he noticed a sedan parked on the shoulder ahead of him. Bradley said he signaled to move to his left, but when he attempted to merge over, he was rear ended by a mother in a minivan who was on her way to pick up a child at school.
Bradley did not identify the woman for fear that she could be scrutinized publicly.
The impact sent Bradley back to his right, where his handlebars caught the rear of the parked sedan, sending his 300-pound frame frame flying over the car and onto the pavement.
As reported by SI, the driver of the minivan did not stop, but later returned to the scene. She has not been charged with a crime.
Bradley said he landed head first, cracking his helmet, and immediately began to panic as he struggled to move his limbs or even breath.
'Am I going to suffocate?' he remembered asking himself. 'Am I going to die slowly?'
Bradley's size was nearly a major problem for paramedics, who initially feared they'd be unable to fit him in the ambulance before managing to get the doors shut.
From there, he was taken into surgery and spent the next three weeks in ICU, relying on a breathing tube and slowly regaining the ability to move his arms and fingers.
The 7-foot-6 Bradley's feet are seen hanging off his hospital bed in Utah last year
As he explained, Bradley was riding his custom bicycle through a roundabout near his home,
