William W. "Bill" Bradley enshrined as player in 1983

William W. "Bill" Bradley

Enshrined 1983
Born: July 28, 1943
Crystal City, MO

When James Naismith invented basketball, Bill Bradley was the type of player he envisioned. Despite his many successes, Bradley possessed intangibles that don't always appear on statistic sheets. A thinking man's player, Bradley could watch a play develop two or three passes ahead of time. This scientific approach helped him to excel on both the college and professional level. Bradley was the focal point of Princeton's offense where he was a three-time All-America and the 1965 Player of the Year. With Bradley in tow, the Tigers captured the Ivy League championship in each of his three varsity seasons and reached the Final Four in 1965. As a ten-year pro with the New York Knicks, "Dollar Bill" was an integral part of a team of many all-stars and developed into one of the league's top forwards, helping to lead the team to the 1970 and 1973 NBA championships.