Bill Bradley was a highly regarded high school basketball star who initially chose Duke University in 1961 but switched to Princeton after breaking his foot and considering his career options outside basketball, valuing Princeton’s strong record in preparing students for government or Foreign Service work. Although he had a scholarship at Duke, the Ivy League’s policy against athletic scholarships and his family’s wealth disqualified him from financial aid at Princeton, influencing his decision to attend the university.
Bill Bradley, who wore #42 in honor of his childhood hero Dick Kazmaier, was a standout athlete at Princeton, excelling in basketball and baseball, and earning numerous accolades including All-American honors and Player of the Year by Sporting News. His dominance on the court was evident early, as he was so superior to his freshman team that coach Eddie Donovan lined up players by saying “You, you, you, you, and Bradley,” and he averaged over 30 points per game. As a sophomore, he scored 40 points in a close loss to St. Joseph’s, earning All-American first-team recognition, and was considered ready for professional basketball by the St. Louis Hawks’ coach. Bradley’s versatility was showcased at the 1964 Olympic trials when he played guard instead of his usual forward position, ultimately making him the youngest and only undergraduate selected for the Olympic team, which secured its sixth consecutive gold medal.
Bill Bradley’s remarkable college basketball career at Princeton in the 1964–1965 season elevated him to national prominence as he led his team to the NCAA Final Four, scoring an impressive 2,503 points with a 30.2-point average, and earning accolades such as the Final Four MVP and the 1965 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the U.S., making him the first basketball player to receive this honor, thereby cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s greats during his amateur career.
Bradley, a distinguished Ivy League basketball player, holds numerous career and season records, including total and average points, free throws made and attempted, and Princeton’s career point record, demonstrating his prolific scoring ability. Despite his impressive stats, he often prioritized passing to teammates—what coaches called “Bradley’s hope passes”—rather than solely focusing on scoring, which might have allowed him to accumulate even higher totals. His coaches, including Van Breda Kolff, encouraged him to adopt a more aggressive, “one on one” approach, noting that Bradley was often more interested in setting up teammates than in personal scoring, especially when Princeton was trailing, highlighting his team-oriented style of play.
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