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Tony Bradley, in Utah Jazz, accidentally becomes muscular during his spare time

The great Utah Jazz man Tony Bradley is extremely polite and serious, although his new loquaciousness unwittingly made him the target of mockery, exasperated on social media on Monday afternoon after revealing in a Zoom call with the media he put on some muscles during the NBA hiatus even if “he wasn’t trying”.

“I received that compliment from many people while walking around the [practice] structure, “Bradley said with an embarrassed smile.” It wasn’t expected. … I guess the look is that I “leaned out.”

Yes, buddy, we can all refer to being casually leaner and more muscular in recent months.

Apparently, both Bradley and fellow Jazz backup Emmanuel Mudiay had many small and convincing insights into how their past months went, while Jazz ended their pre-Orlando media sessions.

Perhaps most singularly fascinating was listening to Mudiay who remembers what it was like to be a footnote in history on that fateful night of March 11 in Oklahoma City, when both he and Rudy Gobert were showing symptoms of illness and were tested for coronavirus.

“We had heard of the coronavirus, but we didn’t [really] know. And then, you know, it hit right at home, “said Mudiay.” It was a little different for me because I wasn’t at the [arena], I was [at the hotel] with Rudy – he was in his room, I was in my room. … But just seeing what was going on, it was definitely a little different, a little strange.

“I didn’t think the league would close as it was – I just thought it would close for probably two weeks, three weeks and then start again,” he added. “… I remember the next morning I was there when everyone [else] they were tested and when Donovan made it, it shocked us all again. Obviously, at the moment we weren’t too educated with the whole virus, so we were just trying to find out more, just hoping that Rudy was OK and Donovan was OK and we weren’t affected. “

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz Guard Emmanuel Mudiay (8) as the Utah Jazz plays host to the Charlotte Hornets, NBA basketball in Salt Lake City on Friday 10 January 2020.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz Guard Emmanuel Mudiay (8) as the Utah Jazz plays host to the Charlotte Hornets, NBA basketball in Salt Lake City on Friday 10 January 2020.

In the following months he split the time between training in his old high school gym in Dallas, and spree TV shows like “Snowfall” and “Ozark”, as well as “classic” movies like “Coming to America” ​​and … “Bad Boys II”? He is also facing the fact that his first trip to the NBA playoffs will not include any games in the notoriously crazy surroundings of the Vivint Smart Home Arena.

“Obviously, it will be a little different. I wish we could play in front of jazz fans. It’s kind of what got me excited – just hearing how exciting it is when the playoffs start, ”said Mudiay. “Yes, it’s my first time, but we’ll see how it goes. I think when we start playing, competitiveness will come and take control of all of us. “

Bradley, meanwhile, when he wasn’t unwittingly swallowed, delighted in teaching his pastor father how to use Facebook Live to minister to his parishioners once mass meetings like going to church were banned in the first weeks of the pandemic.

“He loves it,” Bradley said with a smile. “I think they’re back in church now, but he’s still doing his Facebook Live.”

The third year center also taught himself some new things.

“At that time I knew that I wanted to try to find new things to do: grow in different things. Just small hobbies that I usually don’t have a chance to do, “Bradley said.” … I wanted to work on things I feel almost uncomfortable with. “

He had the chance to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, with his episode of Jazz’s “Quarantine Cookbook” online video series.

In the various episodes, players collaborate with team chef Anthony Zamora to bring their favorite meal to the masses. The nearly 9 minutes of Bradley’s preparation of a healthy shrimp have seen the great man usually reticent and avoiding the spotlight to show off both his cooking skills and a new comfort and confidence in being the center of attention.

“I turned being in front of the camera into something I like. It was natural, “said Bradley.” I really enjoyed cooking, especially in front of the camera, showing just a little bit of my personality. It was fun. “

Perhaps his evolution in embracing his attention is simply a byproduct of the confidence he has shown on the field as his career has progressed.

This too was an important ongoing job, he noted, after the first two years spent largely in the league have sometimes left him wondering if he belonged to the league.

“Sometimes you think about it, somehow you doubt yourself,” said Bradley. “Especially Year 1, Year 2, I [was] like “Uhhhhh, I don’t know”. But I continued to work and I always thought about the positive side. You always doubt a little, but I just kept on doing it. “

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