Cougar Basketball Legend Attends BYU-Notre Dame Game

LAS VEGAS – BYU men’s basketball legend Shawn Bradley attended the Cougars’ football game in Las Vegas against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Fighting Irish hosted the No. 16 Cougars at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, on Saturday, October 8.

The former Cougar and NBA great traveled from his home in St. George, Utah to Southern Nevada to watch his Alma Mater’s football team in action.

Shawn Bradley in attendance for #BYUvsND#BYU @kslsports pic.twitter.com/B17fDIa0c2

— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) October 9, 2022

In January 2021, Bradley was paralyzed following a bicycle accident.

“The accident caused a traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed after undergoing neck fusion surgery,” the Dallas Mavericks announced in a March 2021 press statement.

According to Sports Illustrated, the longtime NBA center is paralyzed from the chest down after he was hit by a minivan, throwing his 7-foot-6 frame into a parked car in front of him.

Bradley, who spent his college career at BYU, averaged 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and an NCAA record 5.2 blocks per game as a freshman before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the second overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.

Bradley was traded by the 76ers to the New Jersey Nets in 1995, before being sent to the Mavericks in 1997 where he would play the final seven seasons of his 12 year NBA career.

The Dallas Mavericks have issued a press release on behalf of former Maverick Shawn Bradley as well as statements from Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson. pic.twitter.com/F9fCtlZ1zJ

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 17, 2021

The center had career averages of 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks during his professional career.

BYU’s game against Notre Dame is broadcast on KSL 5 TV and KSL NewsRadio.

No. 16 BYU vs. Notre Dame

The two faith-based programs will be squaring off for the ninth all-time meeting. They haven’t faced one another since a Notre Dame win in 2013 in South Bend on Senior Night.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 6-2. BYU’s victories against the Irish took place in 1994 and 2004.

Initially, the Irish were supposed to play in Provo. But they had no interest in fulfilling that arrangement once they lined up a scheduling agreement with the ACC in 2014. So instead of BYU taking a paycheck from the Irish, they are playing a game in Vegas.

It’s not a neutral site contest. Saturday night in Las Vegas is a Notre Dame home game minus the venue. Notre Dame’s traditions have flown in from South Bend to Sin City. Plus, the Irish have had the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign turned green in Notre Dame’s honor.

Saturday’s game is the first time Notre Dame has ever played a game in the state of Nevada. For BYU, Las Vegas is like a second home. The tilt against the Irish will be BYU’s 14th game all-time in Vegas.

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