I’m a lifelong collector of sports cards and specialize in rare, autographed cards of BYU players in their BYU uniforms. Instead of just keeping these cardboard treasures to myself, in this video series entitled "BYU Cougar Cards Tell Stories" I'm opening up my collection and sharing them with you.
In this edition I'm sharing my 2013 autographed Shawn Bradley Fleer Mystique Retro card and share the story that it tells about the burden of high expectations:
Shawn Bradley at BYU
No player in BYU history may have faced higher expectations than the 7-foot-6 shot blocking phenom. While some view Shawn Bradley's college and NBA careers as lacking, it's important for us as BYU fans to celebrate what he accomplished in Provo and to understand the impact he made in the NBA.
During his only season at BYU he averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, which is undoubtedly good for a freshman, but where he excelled was as a shot blocker. As a freshman Bradley registered an NCAA-leading 5.2 blocks per game, setting an all-time freshman record.
In 1991 he led BYU to a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bradley powered a first round upset win over No. 7 seed Virginia with his eight points and astonishing 10 blocks. Yes, Shawn Bradley swatted 10 shots in leading BYU to the Round of 32. The Cougars then fell to No. 2 seed Arizona despite Bradley's 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Shawn Bradley: The NBA's all-time most effective shot blocker
After serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bradley broke a lot of hearts in Provo by deciding to turn pro instead of returning for a sophomore season at BYU. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft and went on to have a solid 12-year NBA career in which he became one of the most prolific shot blockers in NBA history.
Shawn Bradley's 2.55 blocked shots per game ranks ninth in NBA history.
Most impressive is Shawn Bradley is the NBA's all-time leader in block percentage, and it's not even close. Block percentage is an advanced stat that estimates of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
In other words, no player in NBA history blocked a higher percentage of shots while on the floor than BYU's Shawn Bradley.
Expectations for Shawn Bradley have always been incredibly high.
From my perspective, he exceeded them both at BYU and in the NBA.
These cards tell stories, and I hope you enjoyed this one.