William W. "Bill" Bradley

When James Naismith invented basketball, Bill Bradley was the type of player he envisioned. Despite his many successes, Bradley possessed intangibles that do not always show up on the stat 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 Associated Press 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. Bradley averaged 35 points per game that year to lead all scorers in the NCAA Tournament. As a ten-year pro with the New York Knicks, "Dollar Bill" was an integral part of a team of All Stars and developed into one of the league's top forwards, helping lead the team to the 1970 and 1973 NBA championships.