BOSTON -- Were you shopping early on Black Friday? If so, then you have something in common with Avery Bradley.
The Celtics guard hit the stores of the Natick Collection at 8:45 on Friday morning with his family. After watching YouTube videos of frantic shoppers, he wanted to experience it for himself.
"People do a little bit too much," Bradley told CSNNE.com. "I thought it was a joke. My girlfriend was trying to tell me it was crazy. I honestly feel like people grab stuff just to grab it, like they don't want the stuff but they don't want anyone else to have it. But they don't understand they end up spending more money than they expect anyways."
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The always-focused 21-year-old selected which stores he wanted to go to before heading to the mall. The Gap, Burberry, and Thomas Pink were on his list of can't-misses.
Bradley didn't buy anything for himself, though. He wanted to make it a memorable morning for his relatives who had traveled to Boston to visit him for Thanksgiving weekend.
"My family was out here, I wanted to do something special for them," he said. "I got my sister and my niece some stuff. I didn't get anything for myself, even though my birthday's coming up."
Bradley proudly described a fur-like ensemble he purchased for his niece at Baby Gap.
"My mom and my sister let me pick out an outfit for her and they liked it," he said. "Great deals."
Bradley spent an hour-and-a-half at the Natick Collection, during which he was recognized by fellow shoppers. He is currently recovering from double shoulder surgeries.
"Fans here are cool," he said. "It didn't really bother me. Most people might ask for a picture but I don't care. I'll take a picture, I'll sign some autographs."
Though happy with his purchases, Bradley has gotten the Black Friday shopping bug out of his system. He will take a different approach next year.
"I'm going to do it online," he said. "I think that's the best. I just never experienced it before. One and done, that's it."