Nike Hoop Summit: A friendship reunited
by Kevin Hudson, The Oregonian
| A Northwest basketball reunion on a national stage |
TUALATIN -- A year ago, Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy appeared poised to take on the state of Washington. Now, after spending their senior year of high school more than 800 miles apart, they're ready to take on the world.
For the two guards out of Tacoma, tonight's Nike Hoop Summit is a chance to reunite after their equally promising high school basketball careers diverged onto distinctly different paths.
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Watch more Nike Hoop Summit videosLooking back from the pinnacle of high school basketball, though, both players agreed the aftermath of the decision was instrumental to the success they've enjoyed this year and the achievement of their shared dream -- Division I college basketball and beyond.
Avery Bradley.Four seasons ago, as freshmen fighting for playing time at Catholic school Bellarmine Preparatory in Tacoma, Bradley and Gaddy became fast friends.
"That real good chemistry has always been there," Gaddy said. "It's just natural between us. I always knew where he was going to be on the court."
By their junior year, they had developed into dominant guards whose games complemented each other: the 6-foot-3 Gaddy a more traditional point guard with his ball-distributing ability and smooth outside shot; Bradley the explosive finisher and tenacious defender.
Bellarmine coach Bernie Salazar dubbed them "fire and ice" for Bradley's passion and determination and Gaddy's cool demeanor and almost effortless style. They averaged 25.7 and 23.2 points, respectively, that season and led Bellarmine to a 25-4 record and the 4A state semifinals.
A state championship seemed well within reach their senior season. Gaddy said he wanted nothing more than to win that title with his best friend, Bradley.
But Bradley was struggling. His grades were slipping, and he was on the brink of derailing his Division I dreams. A transfer to Findlay Preparatory at Henderson International School, a three-year-old program near Las Vegas, gave him a change of scenery and, he said, a chance to refocus on school.
"It was just focus. I had lost that," Bradley said. "Down there there's less people in the classes, like six people, and you can't slack off or not pay attention. I feel like it really helped me."
Said Gaddy: "It was a real learning year for me, and it looks like it helped him out a lot, too."
Both claim that the year apart helped them grow in ways they might not have experienced had Bradley stayed at Bellarmine. Gaddy said he had to learn to be more of a leader and trust his younger teammates without Bradley to finish his thread-the-needle passes. Bradley bore down on his academics and said he thinks he is back on the right path.
"Now we can inspire each other," Bradley said. "Because we both picked up new parts of our game that weren't there last time we played together. It's fun."
Dreams realized
Tonight's Nike Hoop Summit marks the second of three all-star events the two will play in together this month as a victory lap of sorts for their decorated high school careers and a reunion for best friends.
The first was the McDonald's All-American Game on April 1, when the 6-2 Bradley won the dunk contest. The last will be the Jordan Brand Classic in New York's Madison Square Garden next Saturday.
Their selection to these three all-star games is a testament to the individual growth each claims to have achieved this season and a chance to bring closure to last summer's painful separation.
The Summit also offers them the unique chance to represent their country in their native Northwest.
"When you are playing for your country, you've got to represent," Gaddy said. "It's such an honor even to be asked."
Abdul Gaddy."They know how to play very well with one another and they're very well-coached," Olive said. "They're quality guards that we'll play a lot together."
The two won't get another chance to play together after next weekend, as both have signed letters of intent -- Bradley with Texas and Gaddy with Washington, where he'll play alongside another close friend, point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Gaddy and Bradley remained in close contact throughout their year apart, texting and calling after big games or big performances. This will continue in the future as they look forward to watching each other's careers develop from afar. Tonight, they will relish what could be some of their final moments together on a basketball court.
"There's going to be a few plays where we just connect and people are going to be like, 'Wow,'" Gaddy said. "But it's just going to be normal to us because back home we did that all the time."
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