Aaron Bradshaw gives Kentucky fan the shirt off his back
It’s been a tough road for Aaron Bradshaw, who missed all of Kentucky‘s summer practices and games in the GLOBL JAM up in Toronto after undergoing foot surgery in June. The injury came during the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, with the 7-footer spending the next two months weighing his options regarding a natural recovery — a shorter timetable for return, but a greater chance of reinjury down the road — or going through with the procedure. He chose the latter to ensure his availability for the upcoming season.
“Had a foot injury, had a choice to make: Do you let it heal or do you do an operation?” John Calipari said. “He waited for a minute to say, ‘Let me see this,’ but at the end of the day, he said, ‘I want an operation because I want to play.’”
So while the Wildcats did their thing in Toronto, he did his thing back home. Bradshaw has been booted up and focused on recovery — and his official debut at Kentucky.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not making his presence felt in the meantime. In fact, he’s giving Kentucky fans the shirt off his back out in the community. Literally.
“(John Calipari) recruits amazing men.”
Meet Big Blue Nation member Steven J. Hubacher, who met the Wildcats out on their La Familia Autograph Tour this past weekend. Checking out the Versailles stop on Sunday, he got the chance to chat with Bradshaw, along with Reed Sheppard, Jordan Burks and Grant Darbyshire at the meet-and-greet.
Hubacher noticed Bradshaw’s shirt, one of many the Kentucky players and staff members got while representing the United States at the GLOBL JAM. He brought up just how cool it was that his beloved Wildcats got to win a gold medal for his country and that he searched far and wide in hopes of purchasing some Kentucky-themed U.S.A. gear.
“When talking to Aaron, Reed, Jordan and Grant I mentioned how cool it was that UK got to represent the USA at GlobLJam,” Hubacher wrote on Facebook. “I told them I searched everywhere for a shirt and couldn’t find one.”
That’s when Bradshaw asked him to hang around until after the signing wrapped up. “So I did,” Hubacher said.
The five-star freshman then got up and purchased a shirt from the Kroger store where the signing took place to keep for himself. Bradshaw took off his white United States t-shirt with a blue UK logo on the sleeve, signed it and gave it to Hubacher.
“He told me that the fans are amazing and they mean a lot to him and he knows how much the shirt would mean to me,” he wrote on Facebook. “John Calipari doesn’t just recruit amazing players. He recruits amazing men.”
An added bonus from the interaction? Bradshaw himself told Hubacher he had grown to 7-foot-2 and “will be out of the boot next week!”
Doesn’t get any better than that.
“I want to play.”
Confidence remains high that Bradshaw will not only be able to suit up for Kentucky this fall, but play at a high level. And Calipari is excited about the opportunity to coach him.
“I look at him and for him, he made that decision,” Calipari said. “He could have waited it out and then saw that it could work and he could be fine, but he said, ‘I don’t want to take a chance. I want to play.’
“… Aaron Bradshaw was unbelievable in the camps and in our community. The kids loved him, the parents loved him. It’s unfortunate for him, but we’ve had guys that couldn’t be there in the summer and came back and played great. All I can tell you is every time, he grabs me, says, ‘I love you, Coach. Like, this kid is so excited about him being here and wants to help us win.”
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