Craig Bradshaw
Encyclopedia
Craig Bradshaw is a New Zealand
professional basketball
player who last played with the NZL NBL team Otago Nuggets
.
Craig grew up in Stokes Valley
and was a promising Rugby union
player, he was noticed for his basketball talent at St. Bernard's College
in Lower Hutt
and spent his last two years of high school at Wellington High School, where he focused solely on Basketball.
in South Carolina, where he helped the Eagles to their third consecutive Big South Conference championship and a second round appearance at the NCAA national championships.
Bradshaw averaged 12.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg and .02 bpg.
during their 2004 Olympics campaign and has stepped his game up a level since the retirements of veteran “bigs” Sean Marks
and Ed Book
.
He was named MVP of last year’s series win over Australia
after scoring 25 points in the Tall Blacks
’ first ever road win over the Boomers
in Melbourne
.
Craig Bradshaw has become a secondary role player for the New Zealand Tall Blacks
national team. He played in the 2004 Olympics as well as the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
Bradshaw also played in the 2010 FIBA World Championship
in Turkey.
. Bradshaw then played the NBA summer league with the Atlanta Hawks
, but unfortunately didn't make any NBA
roster.
for the 2007/08 season playing for the Brisbane Bullets
. He was averaging 12.4 ppg. He then negotiated a deal with Basketball New Zealand and the Brisbane Bullets
for his off season release so that he could play in the Turkish Basketball League
for the European season but return to Australia
to play the NBL. He has since become a centrepiece in the Efes Pilsen S.K. offense. In 2009, he became a starting player for the Korean Basketball League
(KBL
) side LG Sakers
out of Changwon
, South Korea
. On 23 December 2010 Bradshaw officially signed to play with the Otago Nuggets
of the New Zealand NBL in the 2011 season. After a stand-out season, he later confirmed that he would be transfering to the Southland Sharks
for 2012.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who last played with the NZL NBL team Otago Nuggets
Otago Nuggets
The OCEANAGOLD Nuggets, formerly the Otago Nuggets, are a New Zealand professional basketball team that play in the National Basketball League. They play their home games at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.-2006 season:...
.
Craig grew up in Stokes Valley
Stokes Valley
Stokes Valley is a major suburb of Lower Hutt, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the northeastern edge of the city seven kilometres northeast of the city centre, in the valley of a small tributary of the Hutt River, called Stokes Valley stream which flows north to meet the main...
and was a promising Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, he was noticed for his basketball talent at St. Bernard's College
St. Bernard's College, Lower Hutt
St Bernard's College is a Catholic Year 7 to 13 secondary School for Boys, located on Waterloo Rd, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. The Marist Brothers, in response to Archbishop McKeefry's call, opened St Bernard's School in 1946...
in Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
and spent his last two years of high school at Wellington High School, where he focused solely on Basketball.
NCAA
Bradshaw completed a mediocre college career at Winthrop UniversityWinthrop University
Winthrop University is a public, four-year liberal arts university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. In 2006-07, Winthrop University had an enrollment of 6,292 students. The University has been recognized as South Carolina's top-rated university according to evaluations conducted by the South...
in South Carolina, where he helped the Eagles to their third consecutive Big South Conference championship and a second round appearance at the NCAA national championships.
Bradshaw averaged 12.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg and .02 bpg.
Play
Bradshaw has been noted for his shooting range for a big man. He is a natural Power Forward but is capable of playing Center as he has done for New Zealand in recent times. Standing 6'9.5", he may have the physical potential to become an average post player. However, Bradshaw has failed to develop his skills beyond the mid major college basketball level. Sub par coordination and fear of contact has marred his style of play. At 27 years of age, skill development has most likely halted.Tall Blacks
Bradshaw debuted for the Tall BlacksNew Zealand national basketball team
The New Zealand national basketball team represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. It is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, derived from the name of New Zealand's Rugby union team, the All Blacks.-History:...
during their 2004 Olympics campaign and has stepped his game up a level since the retirements of veteran “bigs” Sean Marks
Sean Marks
Sean Andrew Marks is a New Zealand-American professional basketball player. He is the first native New Zealander to play in the NBA.-Basketball career:...
and Ed Book
Ed Book
Ed Book is a retired American-New Zealand professional basketball player. Book who stands at 2.10 metres tall, came from America to New Zealand in 1994 to play in the New Zealand National Basketball League.At the 2002 FIBA World Championship Book was a stand out player for the Tall Blacks,...
.
He was named MVP of last year’s series win over Australia
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
after scoring 25 points in the Tall Blacks
New Zealand national basketball team
The New Zealand national basketball team represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. It is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, derived from the name of New Zealand's Rugby union team, the All Blacks.-History:...
’ first ever road win over the Boomers
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Craig Bradshaw has become a secondary role player for the New Zealand Tall Blacks
New Zealand national basketball team
The New Zealand national basketball team represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. It is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, derived from the name of New Zealand's Rugby union team, the All Blacks.-History:...
national team. He played in the 2004 Olympics as well as the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
Bradshaw also played in the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
in Turkey.
NBA Draft
Bradshaw went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. Bradshaw then played the NBA summer league with the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, but unfortunately didn't make any NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
roster.
Career
Bradshaw joined the NBLNational Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
for the 2007/08 season playing for the Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets
The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
. He was averaging 12.4 ppg. He then negotiated a deal with Basketball New Zealand and the Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets
The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
for his off season release so that he could play in the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
for the European season but return to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to play the NBL. He has since become a centrepiece in the Efes Pilsen S.K. offense. In 2009, he became a starting player for the Korean Basketball League
Korean Basketball League
The Korean Basketball League, often abbreviated to the KBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in South Korea. Its inaugural season was in 1997. The season starts in October and ends in April the following year. The KBL consists of 10 teams. Each team plays 54 games . Each team...
(KBL
KBL
KBL may refer to:* KBL European Private Bankers S.A., a subsidiary of KBC Group.*KBL, a cable/DBS channel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, now known as Root Sports Pittsburgh...
) side LG Sakers
Changwon LG Sakers
Changwon LG Sakers are a basketball team located in the city of Changwon in South Gyeongsang province. The team's main sponsor is LG Electronics which has its offices in Changwon....
out of Changwon
Changwon
Changwon is a city in and the capital of Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Changwon city is 8th most populous city in South Korea, with a 2010 established population of 1,089,039. It encompasses a land area of on southeastern of South Korea. The population of Southeastern part of Korea, that...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. On 23 December 2010 Bradshaw officially signed to play with the Otago Nuggets
Otago Nuggets
The OCEANAGOLD Nuggets, formerly the Otago Nuggets, are a New Zealand professional basketball team that play in the National Basketball League. They play their home games at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.-2006 season:...
of the New Zealand NBL in the 2011 season. After a stand-out season, he later confirmed that he would be transfering to the Southland Sharks
Southland Sharks
The Southland Sharks are a professional basketball team based in the Southland region in the New Zealand National Basketball League.The team plays their home games at Invercargill's Stadium Southland where 3,000 of the 4,500 seats are made available for regular season games.-Establishment:The...
for 2012.