Avery Bradley fears no man.
The Boston Celtics guard was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season, adding to his reputation as a tenacious on-ball defender. His success could be attributed to his confident mindset, which is evident in how he approaches every 1-on-1 battle.
“I love the challenge,” Bradley said Friday during an appearance at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to MassLive.com. “I love going up against the best players. I don’t care who it is. I don’t care about getting embarrassed. I don’t care. Kyrie Irving, none of those guys scare me.
“I know some players in the NBA probably get butterflies before the game, but not me. I’m licking my lips. I come excited. They need to prepare for me at the end of the day. That’s how I think.”
Bradley injured his hamstring last season in Game 1 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff matchup against the Atlanta Hawks and was sidelined for the remainder of the series, which Boston lost in six games. The 25-year-old is expecting to come back better than ever this season, though. He might just be scratching the surface of his defensive excellence.
The Celtics again could be very difficult to play against.
“I’m going to play rough,” Bradley said Friday, per MassLive.com. “I’m going to pick up the entire game. I’m not going to back down. You can cross me, I can fall, I don’t care. That’s just me, that’s who I am.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
