LA Lakers’ Avery Bradley Forgoes Championship Games to Stay With Family
By Cooper Dowd, Staff Writer
While Los Angeles Lakers player Avery Bradley chose not to play with his team to be with his family, he found other ways to support the game and the people he loves.
Bradley made the difficult decision to sit out during the Lakers’ recent NBA Championship run. The heart behind Bradley’s decision was to protect his son, who has respiratory issues, from unnecessary contact with the coronavirus.
“It’s really hard not being there for my team,” Bradley told Forbes. “But I’m able to share words of encouragement with those guys. I just try to support them in any way I can.”
Although Bradley did not play for the remainder of the NBA season, he did not waste his time off the court. Along with his wife Ashley, Bradley offered aid to mothers playing in WNBA who had limited contact with their children.
“One thing that was really important was the moms being able to make sure their essential needs were taken care of,” Bradley said. “They don’t make as much, obviously, and I wanted to see if I could be of service to them to be able to assist in any way I could so they could focus on just basketball.”
The couple bought over $30,000 worth of items, including art supplies, coloring books, board games, books, and other supplies.
“Avery Bradley, underscoring the importance of family time, surprised WNBA players with loads of indoor and outdoor games and other special touches that enriched the experiences of player-moms and their little ones,” Terri Jackson, the WNBA’s executive director, said.
Though he didn’t spend time on the court during their championship run, the Lakers organization still offered him a ring.
“Will I accept the ring? I’m neither here nor there about it,” Bradley said. “I am 10 years in this league. The physical possession of a ring doesn’t make me feel like more or less of a person. I play basketball strictly for enjoyment and to add to the support of my family. Supporting them is exactly what I’m doing right now.”
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