She’s been playing basketball for as long as she can remember. 

Her parents put her into sports to learn some lessons, but as she began to grow an immense love and passion for the sport, zero points became 1,564.

Now a senior, Paris Bradley recently became the girl’s basketball all-time leading scorer in the school’s history, with 1,564 career points so far. 

As a kid, she originally played basketball, volleyball and track, but decided to stick with basketball because that’s what she said she felt was meant for her. Paris has played with various clubs throughout her career, such as the Amatuer Athletic Union (AAU) and school teams, which she said has given her the opportunity to learn different lessons over time.  

“There’s [a lot] you can learn, whether it’s being part of a team, leadership [or] learning how to be accountable,” Paris said. “There’s a lot of lessons you can learn from being in basketball or playing any sport, really.” 

When Paris was younger, she said basketball was more of a hobby, until she eventually found a passion for the sport. She practiced before school, after school and during lunch. 

“There was a point where I did not think she would [continue this],” Paris’s father, Odell Bradley, said. “But she overcame that and came to me and told me that year that she did want to continue. I love to be able to watch her. It’s wonderful to see her go out, compete and play up to a level of competition and the level of her ability.”

Bradley has been a captain for the girls basketball team since her sophomore year. She originally wasn’t going for the position, but was chosen by her teammates for the last three years.

“She’s a leader because she leads by example with her work,” head girls basketball coach Lisa Branch said. “She’s also a leader because she’s not afraid to speak on behalf of the coaches, and she’s not afraid to speak to the coaches on behalf of the players – which is very important.” 

Paris said being a captain is a lot like being a player. She said she has to grow as a player every day in order to play that captain role and has had multiple people who have been her influences. When she was a freshman, Paris said she looked up to a then-senior who taught her how to find a sense of comfort on and off the court. 

“There’s really no difference [between] being a player and a captain,” Bradley said. “It’s how you hold yourself and how you present yourself to others.” 

After being on the team for close to four years now, Branch said Paris’s impact has weighed heavily, both on and off the court. 

“We’re losing an ambassador,” Branch said. “We’re losing somebody who genuinely cares about [the] Hebron community. Not just the high school, not just the girls basketball program, but [Bradley is] representative of this community, and she’s a huge ambassador for this district.”

This story was originally published on The Hawk Eye on February 1, 2024.