Bill Bradley: From basketball to politics

He's the "normal guy" from small town America in the slightly crumpled suit. He's the man who says that he has spent the last few years seeking to connect with ordinary people.

But most of all, former Senator Bill Bradley is the basketball superstar who sought to slam-dunk his way into the White House before he withdrew from the campaign for the Democratic candidacy in March.

Born in Crystal City, Missouri, the definition of blue collar small-town America, Bill Bradley shone both as an athlete and a student.

Even his personal life differs from the normal trend of presidential hopefuls - his wife, Ernestine Schlant, is a professor of German and Comparative literature.

Basketball Hall of Fame

He found himself torn between politics and basketball. He chose basketball.

Bill Bradley first caught the public's imagination as a member of the US's gold medal-winning team at the 1964 Olympics and a subsequent profile in the New Yorker magazine described the 21-year-old as so talented that he would probably one day be President.

A son of a banker and a former school teacher, the young Bill went on to Princeton University before winning a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford - but found himself torn between politics and basketball. He chose basketball.

Joining the New York Knicks in 1967, he scored 10,439 points in a 10-year career, earning him entry to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

His original $500,000 contract earned him the nickname of "Dollar Bill" but he says that he steered clear of sponsorship deals because he was suspicious of being marketed simply because he was a white face in a sport dominated by African Americans.

Into politics

Despite the glittering prizes, sport did not prove enough for Bradley and, at his first attempt in 1979, he became the then youngest ever candidate to enter the Senate, taking New Jersey at the age of 35.

Bradley stood down at the 1996 election, saying that politics was "broken".

Bill Bradley quickly became known as a moderate Democrat, though not a member of any particular camp.

His voting record is similar to his Democratic presidential opponent Al Gore but his critics say that he was reluctant to get his hands dirty in wheeling and dealing.

Bradley stood down at the 1996 election, saying that politics was "broken", dominated by money and neither the Democrats or Republicans spoke to average Americans.

He initially explored the idea of an independent presidential run but decided against it amid harsh party criticism.

Bradley has sought the moral high ground on health and poverty

Mapping out a longer term strategy, he toured America and delivered a CBS News series on the state of the nation, creating a perception that he was removed from the politics-as-usual style of his opponents.

When Bradley chose to run for 2000, he headed for the left of the party and pledged to "eliminate child poverty as we know it".

Bradley sought the moral high ground on health and poverty but his critics said he brought with him a poor Senate record in both areas.

The former basketball star called for tougher gun controls and has a long-running interest in race relations.

At the same time, he was able to bring in the support of Michael Jordan, one of basketball's greatest - and richest - stars, as well as Wall Street bankers.

He tried floating some big ideas in his campaign - like extending health insurance to 40m Americans without it.

But to many he came across as too laid back and he did not light any fires in the electorate.

In the crucial Super Tuesday primaries on 7 March, Bradley was comprehensively beaten by Al Gore. He swiftly withdrew from the campaign and declared his support for Mr Gore.