New Oklahoma City Thunder center and former North Carolina Tar Heel reacted to the retirement of UNC head coach Roy Williams’ the same way so many of us did at home:
“I thought it was an April Fool’s joke,” he said.
It was not a joke. April 2 rolled around and the legend remained retired. Williams finished his coaching career with a 903-264 record over 33 seasons between Kansas and North Carolina and three National Championships with the Tar Heels.
“I was actually shocked to see him retire. I was thinking maybe he had another two or three years,” Bradley said.
Bradley won an NCAA Championship under Williams at North Carolina in 2016-17. In that season, Bradley’s only year at UNC, the big averaged 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game off the bench.
He had five points and seven boards in the championship game against Gonzaga. Justin Jackson, who is once again Bradley’s teammate in Oklahoma City, scored 16 points for North Carolina in the title performance.
“Coach Williams was one of the main reasons why I went to UNC,” Bradley said. “Watching him and his teams play and compete at a young age, as a kid, I always wanted to go there.”
Bradley said he will never forget being recruited by the legend.
“The process of the recruiting and everything, him coming to see me in high school … memories we made and some things I just won’t ever forget,” he said.
