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| Position | Small forward |
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| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Team | San Antonio Spurs |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | June 14 1971 Merced, California |
| High school | Edison |
| College | Cal State Fullerton |
| Draft | Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1993–present |
| Former teams | Le Havre (1993-94) Evreux (1994-95) Rockford Lightning (1995-96), 1997 Besançon BCD (1996-97) Miami Heat (1997) Boston Celtics (1997–1999) Philadelphia 76ers (1999–2000) Miami Heat (2000–2001) |
Bruce Bowen Jr. (b. June 14 1971 in Merced, California) is an American professional National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player. The 6'7", 200 lbs. Bowen plays small forward for the San Antonio Spurs. He is an alumnus of Edison High School[1] and Cal State Fullerton and also a former member of the NBA Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, the CBA Rockford Lightning and the French clubs Le Havre, Evreux and Besançon. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA, Bowen has been elected seven times to the NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams, and was a member of the Spurs teams that won the NBA championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007.[2] In private life, he is an ambassador for raising child obesity awareness.
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Early years
Bruce Bowen Jr. was born as son of Bruce Bowen Sr. and Dietra Campbell. Bowen had a problematic childhood growing up in Merced, because his mother took drugs and even sold the family TV to feed her habit.[1][3] Bruce Jr. spent his days playing basketball and eventually became a star in the local West Fresno Edison High School squad.[3] After receiving a scholarship, Bowen played four seasons at Cal State Fullerton, appearing in 101 games, and averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36.6 minutes in 27 games as a senior in 1992-93, paving the way for him to be named to the All-Big West Conference First Team. Bowen ranks 12th on the Titans’ all-time list in career points (1,155) and is seventh all-time in rebounds (559).[4]
Professional career
Early struggles (1993-1997)
Bowen made himself eligible for the 1993 NBA Draft, but went undrafted. Instead, he seemed to be destined to become a journeyman. Between 1993 and 1997, Bowen frequently changed teams, playing for the French teams of Le Havre in 1993-94 and Evreux the following season. In 1995-96 he played in the CBA with Rockford Lightning. The following season was interesting: he started off again in France, this time with Besançon, returned to the Lightning in February 1997 and made his NBA debut, being signed to a ten-day contract by the Miami Heat the following month that was not extended after the season had ended. His output consisted of 1 game, 1 minute and 1 block.[4][5]
Getting settled (1997-2001)
In the 1997-98 NBA season, Bowen reappeared in the NBA, being signed by the Boston Celtics. With the Celtics, Bowen slowly established himself in the NBA. In his first full year as an NBA player, he appeared in 61 games (nine of them as starter) with the Celtics, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.43 steals in 21.4 minutes per game, shooting .409 from the field, .339 from three-point land and .623 from the free throw line.[5] The next year was a bit of a disappointment, as Bowen appeared in only 30 Celtics games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.[5] In the 1999-2000 NBA season, Bowen signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, traded to the Chicago Bulls and immediately waived, being picked off waivers by the Miami Heat. In that season, he wore jersey #12 instead of #30 and appeared in 69 games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game, and scored in double-figures six times.[5] In the following year, Bowen was retained by the Heat. In that year, he had his breakout season. For the first time in his career, he played in all 82 regular season games, averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.01 steals in 32.7 minutes per game and set new single season career-highs in games, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, minutes, field goals made and attempted, three-point goals made and attempted and free throws made and attempted.[5] Bowen logged more minutes (2,685 vs. 2,678), scored more points (623 vs. 606) and hit more threes (103 vs. 54) then he had in his first four seasons combined.[5] Especially, Bowen earned himself a reputation as a defensive stopper. For his strong perimeter defense, he was voted into the All-Defensive Second Team.[2]
San Antonio Spurs (2001-present)
In the 2001-02 NBA season, Bowen was signed by the San Antonio Spurs. He joined a championship-caliber team, led by veteran Hall-of-Fame center David Robinson, young superstar power forward Tim Duncan, and complemented by talented role players like Steve Smith, Malik Rose, Antonio Daniels and point guards Terry Porter and Tony Parker. Bowen established himself as a starter, beginning in 59 of his 59 regular-season games and in all 10 Spurs playoffs games, where they eventually succumbed to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 NBA Playoffs. For his feats, Bowen earned himself his second All-Defensive Second Team nomination.[5] In the next season, Bowen started in all 82 regular season games for the first time in his career and averaged 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.3 minutes per game. Again, he was voted into the All-Defensive Second Team and was member of the Spurs team which won the 2003 NBA Finals. At age 31, the one-time journeyman Bowen had won his first championship ring as a starter.[5] In the following three seasons, Bowen established a reputation as the best perimeter defender in the NBA, earning three straight All-Defensive First Team elections and ending as runner-up in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award votings twice, losing to post defender Ben Wallace.[6][7] Bowen was a member of the Spurs squad which was defeated 2-4 by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2004 NBA Playoffs, but Bowen and the Spurs bounced back and won the NBA title in 2005. The Spurs could not win back-to-back titles however, and bowed out 3-4 in a grueling seven-game series against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Playoffs. As of 2007, Bowen remains a valuable role player on the Spurs, having started in every Spurs regular season and playoff game since he became a starter in 2001.[2] In that season, he finished as the runner-up behind Marcus Camby for the league's defensive player of the year award.[8] His defensive contributions also ensured that the Spurs won its fourth championship in the 2007 NBA Finals.[8]
International career
In 2006, Bowen had the offer to join the United States men's national basketball team, which participated in the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. At age 35, Bowen was the oldest player who was invited by U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski, stating the need for defensive role players like Bowen. However, Bowen received only little playing time, despite the injuries of fellow swingmen and guards Antawn Jamison, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. Although he participated in several training sessions and training camps, Bowen was eventually cut from the team. He expressed his disappointment, and hopes to make the 2008 Olympics squad.[9]
Player profile
The 6'7", 200 lbs Bowen plays the small forward position.[5] He has gained a reputation for being one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, earning himself seven consecutive nominations for the NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams from 2001-2007.[2] From 2005 to 2007, he was second in voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, beaten only by centers Ben Wallace (2005 and 2006)[6][7] and Marcus Camby (2007)[8] who are both post defenders. Bowen is not known for his offensive production. He is seldom sought on offense, having never attempted more than 251 field goals in an entire 82-game regular season, and his career averages of 6.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and .566 foul shooting are considered mediocre, never earning him nominations for NBA All-Star or All-NBA First or Second Teams.[2] His foul shooting, in fact, is poor enough that he has at times been made the target of the so-called "Bruise-a-Bruce" defense. However, opposing teams cannot leave Bowen wide open on offense, because he is also a remarkably accurate three-point shooter (.388 career average on 1,700+ attempts).[2] In addition, despite his age Bowen has played 466 consecutive games between 28 February, 2002 and 02 January, 2008, leading Sports Illustrated to name him in 2007 the "Iron Man" of the NBA.[10] Responding to fan e-mail in 2005, Bowen stated that his secret for success is a mixture of hard work and perseverance, saying defense is "a little bit of talent and a lot of work; being able to take on the challenge of going up against the top guys, even when you didn't win that battle. Being able to come back the next day and try again — I think that's the most important thing." He also stressed that the key to being a good basketball player is to "work hard and make sure you have fun with the game more than anything else. I think in anything you want to do, you can succeed at it. At least you can say you gave it your best effort if you don't." Bowen mentioned that he considers Denver Nuggets small forward Carmelo Anthony and former Seattle SuperSonics shooting guard Ray Allen (now with the Boston Celtics) to be among the most difficult players to guard.[11]
Allegations of "dirty play"
Over the years however, Bowen has gained a reputation for not only being tough and effective, but also citations by several of his peers and sports analysts as a "dirty" defender.[12] For his controversial playing style, long-time ESPN columnist Bill Simmons has characterized Bowen as "a cheap player who's going to seriously hurt someone some day", but acknowledges that he "ultimately makes his team better."[13] Inside Hoops columnist M.J. Darnell however takes a more positive angle, saying "[t]hey're (i.e. Bowen's victims) whining because Bruce Bowen has frustrated, upset, hurt or angered them in some way" but also stating "he [Bowen] just plays tough, physical defense, does not play with any intent to injure, but isn't afraid to get in someone's grill".[14] Bowen has acknowledged that his play has resulted in his being in perpetual personal contact via phone with the league's czar of discipline, Stu Jackson,[15] but to date the league's total collected fines from action against Bowen amount to a mere $10,000 doled out by the NBA for an incident in which he kicked Ray Allen in the back after both had fallen down in a game.[16] He has also drawn much ire from many of his one-on-one opponents, particularly NBA All-Star guards Ray Allen, Vince Carter and Steve Francis who have accused him of encroaching into their landing space during their jumpshot,[12] a defensive tactic that can result in major injury to the shooter by causing an uneven landing and severe rolling of the ankle. In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Phoenix Suns forward-center Amare Stoudemire accused Bowen of kicking him during a game, but after a review by the NBA, this claim was dismissed.[17]
Personal life
Bowen is the son of Bruce Bowen Sr. and Dietra Campbell. He remembers having a problematic childhood, plagued by his father's drug addiction. Today, Bowen has cut many relationships to his parents and several relatives, instead looking up to his childhood friend Quinn Crozier and a Los Angeles couple whom he regards as his adoptive parents.[3] Bowen is married to Yardley Barbon, and the couple has two sons, Ojani (born September 7, 2005) and Ozmel (born June 9, 2007).[5] When not standing on the hardwood, he is an ambassador against child obesity, and runs his own "GET FIT with Bruce and Buddy" program for healthy nutrition and daily sports acitivies for children. He is also a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the University of Texas Longhorns football team. He runs the Bruce Bowen Foundation, an organization set-up to provide scholarships, tuitions and to help those less fortunate. In addition, he is working on his college degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton (by taking classes at nearby University of Texas at San Antonio), and wants to become a teacher after his NBA career.[5]
NBA career statistics
- Correct as of 21 November 2007[18]
| Regular season | Team | GP | MPG | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Miami | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 1997–98 | Boston | 61 | 21.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 0.409 | 0.339 | 0.623 |
| 1998–99 | Boston | 30 | 16.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.280 | 0.269 | 0.458 |
| 1999–2000 | Philadelphia | 42 | 7.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.356 | 0.500 | 0.500 |
| 1999–2000 | Miami | 27 | 21.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 5.1 | 0.380 | 0.464 | 0.613 |
| 2000–01 | Miami | 82 | 32.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 7.6 | 0.363 | 0.336 | 0.609 |
| 2001–02 | San Antonio | 59 | 28.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 7.0 | 0.389 | 0.378 | 0.479 |
| 2002–03 | San Antonio | 82 | 31.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 7.1 | 0.466 | 0.441 | 0.404 |
| 2003–04 | San Antonio | 82 | 32.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 6.9 | 0.420 | 0.363 | 0.579 |
| 2004–05 | San Antonio | 82 | 32.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 8.2 | 0.420 | 0.403 | 0.634 |
| 2005–06 | San Antonio | 82 | 33.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.433 | 0.424 | 0.607 |
| 2006–07 | San Antonio | 82 | 30.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 6.2 | 0.405 | 0.384 | 0.589 |
| 2007–08 | San Antonio | 12 | 29.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 5.3 | 0.460 | 0.556 | 0.500 |
| Career | 724 | 28.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 6.4 | 0.409 | 0.390 | 0.569 |
| Playoffs | Team | GP | MPG | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Miami | 10 | 15.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 0.370 | 0.227 | 0.625 |
| 2000–01 | Miami | 3 | 19.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 0.313 | 0.250 | 0.000 |
| 2001–02 | San Antonio | 10 | 34.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 0.410 | 0.440 | 0.500 |
| 2002–03 | San Antonio | 24 | 31.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 6.9 | 0.372 | 0.438 | 0.548 |
| 2003–04 | San Antonio | 10 | 29.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 0.365 | 0.379 | 0.231 |
| 2004–05 | San Antonio | 23 | 35.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 5.7 | 0.359 | 0.433 | 0.647 |
| 2005–06 | San Antonio | 13 | 34.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 6.2 | 0.525 | 0.500 | 0.500 |
| 2006–07 | San Antonio | 20 | 34.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 6.5 | 0.395 | 0.446 | 0.500 |
| Career | 113 | 31.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 0.390 | 0.421 | 0.527 |
Notes
- ^ a b Wise, Mike. "Bowen Has Every Right and Reason to Be Defensive", The Washington Post, June 14, 2005. Accessed November 15, 2007. "Bowen was the first great athlete I interviewed at my first job. In 1988, he was the star of Edison High School's varsity basketball team."
- ^ a b c d e f basketball-reference.com (2007-04-11). Bruce Bowen Statistics.
- ^ a b c Weise, Mike (2007-04-11). For Bowen, this is the easy part.
- ^ a b usabasketball.com (2007-04-11). USA Basketball: Bio of Bruce Bowen.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k nba.com (2007-04-11). Bruce Bowen Info Page.
- ^ a b Awards Voting for 2004-05 (2007-04-11).
- ^ a b Awards Voting for 2005-06 (2007-04-11).
- ^ a b c Camby second Nugget to win top defensive award (2007-04-27).
- ^ Ludden, Johnny (2007-04-11). Bowen disappointed at missing U.S. cut.
- ^ NBA's Most Underpaid Players (2007-04-11).
- ^ Spurs Mailbox: Bruce Bowen.
- ^ a b Burns, Marty (2007-04-11). Is Bruce Bowen a Dirty Player?.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (2007-05-21). Thinking about the NBA playoffs while web surfing.
- ^ Darnell, M.J.. Throwin' 'Bows.
- ^ Ludden, Johnny (2006-11-15). "NBA Warns Bowen To Watch His Step When He Guards Shooters".
- ^ Stoudemire calls Bowen, Ginobili ‘dirty’ players (2007-05-10).
- ^ Stoudemire says Bowen tried to injure him in Game 2 (2007-05-11).
- ^ Bruce Bowen Career Stats Page, nba.com, accessed 2 September 2007.
External links
- NBA.com player profile
- BruceBowen.com - Official website
- Bruce Bowen stats at Basketball-Reference.com
- Bruce Bowen playerfile, stats, career, videos
- Bowen is a father whom his kids and San Antonio can be proud of - Article from the San Antonio Express-News highlighting some of Bowen's contributions outside of his NBA career
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2 Mohammed | 3 Robinson | 5 Horry | 8 Nesterovic | 9 Parker | 12 Bowen | 14 Udrih | 17 Barry | 20 Ginobili | 21 Duncan (Finals MVP) | 23 Brown | 34 Massenburg | Coach Popovich |
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