Bruce Eric Bowen Jr. (born June 14, 1971) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. Bowen played

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

and graduated from Edison High School and

Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

. He went on to play for the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

and the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

Rockford Lightning The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. History The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses fro ...

, and also played abroad in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. One of the most feared perimeter "lockdown" defenders in NBA history, Bowen was elected to the

NBA All-Defensive The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

First and Second Teams eight times, and was a member of the Spurs teams that won the NBA championships in

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, and

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

. At the same time, he was frequently accused of having a "dirty" playstyle and endangering other players. Off the court, Bowen became an informal ambassador for

child obesity Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of ...

awareness.

Early years

Bruce Bowen Jr. was born in

Merced, California Merced (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up ...

. He is the son of Bruce Bowen Sr. and Dietra Campbell. Bowen had a problematic childhood growing up in Merced. According to Bowen, his earnings from selling newspapers were taken from him by his father so that his father could buy alcohol. Bowen has also stated that he only saw his father "from time to time". He has asserted that his mother took drugs, and that she once sold the family television to feed her crack cocaine habit. Bowen has an uncle named Darryl who looked out for him as a child; he regards Darryl and his sons as brothers. Bruce Jr. spent his days playing basketball and eventually became a star at local West Fresno Edison High School. He then played four seasons at

, appearing in 101 games, and averaged 11.4 points and 5.8

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game. After averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36.6 minutes in 27 games as a senior in 1992–93, he was 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).

Professional career

Le Havre (1993–1994)

After finishing his four-year college eligibility, Bowen was eligible for the

1993 NBA draft The 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Allan Ho ...

, but went undrafted. Between 1993 and 1997, Bowen played for five different teams, starting his professional career for the French team of

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

in 1993–94.

Évreux (1994–1995)

Bowen played for

Évreux Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy. Geography The city is on the Iton river. Climate History In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named ...

during the 1994–95 season.

Rockford Lightning (1995–1996)

In 1995–96, Bowen played in the CBA with the

Besançon (1996–1997)

Bowen spent the next season back in France with

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerl ...

Return to the Lightning (1997)

Bowen returned to the Lightning in February 1997.

Miami Heat (1997)

Bowen made his NBA debut when he was signed to a ten-day contract by the

in March 1997. His output consisted of 1 game, 1 minute and 1 block.

Boston Celtics (1997–1999)

In the

1997–98 NBA season The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 19 ...

, Bowen reappeared in the NBA, having been signed by the

. 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 In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

. The

next year "Next Year" is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters' album ''There Is Nothing Left to Lose''. History A shorter version (running at just 3:21 compared to the original's 4:36) was released as a single in 2000 and wa ...

was a disappointment for him, as Bowen appeared in only 30 Celtics games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.

Philadelphia 76ers (1999–2000)

In the

1999–2000 NBA season The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 NBA Finals. This would also be C ...

, Bowen signed with the

Return to Miami (2000–2001)

Bowen was later traded to the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

and immediately waived, then picked up off waivers by the

. In that season, he wore jersey #12 instead of #3 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. 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. Bowen logged more minutes (2,685 vs. 2,678), scored more points (623 vs. 606) and hit more threes (103 vs. 54) than he had in his first four seasons combined. Especially, Bowen earned himself a reputation as a defensive stopper. For his strong perimeter defense, he was voted into the All-Defensive Second Team.

San Antonio Spurs (2001–2009)

2001–03: First championship

In the

2001–02 NBA season The 2001–02 NBA season was the 56th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their third straight championship, beating the New Jersey Nets 4–0 in the 2002 NBA Finals. Notable occurre ...

, Bowen was signed by the

. He joined a championship-caliber team, led by veteran Hall-of-Fame

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

and young

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

, complemented by talented role players like

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

Malik Rose Malik Jabari Rose (born November 23, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. Rose played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning championships with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003. High school ...

Antonio Daniels Antonio Robert Daniels (born March 19, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the television color analyst for the New Orleans Pelicans on B ...

and

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

Terry Porter Terry Porter (born April 8, 1963) is an American former college basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was most recently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Portland. A native of Wisc ...

and

Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in LNB Pro A. Himself the son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in ...

. Bowen established himself as a starter, beginning in each of his 59 regular-season games. In that season, Bowen received his first of several fines: he had to pay $7,500 for kicking

Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...

in the face during a March 1, 2002 game. In the 2002 NBA playoffs, Bowen started in all 10 Spurs playoffs games, where the team eventually succumbed to the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. For his feats, Bowen earned himself his second All-Defensive Second Team nomination, although some peers and sports analysts accused him of being a "dirty" defender. Bruce Bowen three pointer

In the next season, Bowen started in all 82 regular-season games for the second 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 a member of the Spurs team which won the

2003 NBA Finals The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2002–03 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the Eastern Conference cham ...

. At age 31, the one-time journeyman Bowen had won his first

championship ring A championship ring or premiership ring is a ring presented to members of winning teams in North American professional sports leagues, and college tournaments. Championship rings are mostly confined to North American sports. Since only one ...

as a starter. In the following three seasons, Bowen established a reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders 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 The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswrit ...

votings twice, losing to post defender Ben Wallace.

2003–04: Back-to-back chase

Having established himself as the premier defensive backcourt player, Bowen's effective, but hard-nosed style of play came under discussion. In particular, rival guards

Vince Carter Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played Powe ...

and

Steve Francis Steven D'Shawn Francis (born February 21, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected with the second overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft and was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year (along with Elton Brand) in his fi ...

accused him of encroaching into their landing space during their jumpshot.

Inside Hoops InsideHoops.com, or Inside Hoops, is a basketball news website that was founded in 1999 by Jeff Lenchiner. The site, which updates several times a day, primarily delivers NBA basketball coverage. The site also features basic daily college basketba ...

columnist M.J. Darnell commented: "They're whining because Bruce Bowen has frustrated, upset, hurt or angered them in some way.... He just plays tough, physical defense, does not play with any intent to injure, but isn't afraid to get in someone's grill". Bowen's defensive style failed to help this Spurs squad repeat in the 2004 NBA playoffs, as the team was eventually defeated 4–2 by the

in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

2005–07: Second and third championships

Bowen and the Spurs bounced back and won the NBA title in 2005, defeating the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. The Spurs could not win back-to-back titles, however, and bowed out 4–3 in a seven-game series against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

in the

2006 NBA playoffs The 2006 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks ...

. As a testament to his controversial style of play, Bowen picked up a $10,000 NBA fine for kicking

Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in ...

in the back during a March 2006 game. In the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Spurs played against the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

, and Bowen became the center of controversy. His knee contacted

guard

Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...

's groin, knocking Nash to the floor. Also in that series, forward–center

Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire ( ; he, אמארה יהושפט סטודמאייר; born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Bro ...

accused Bowen of kicking him during a game, but the NBA reviewed and dismissed the claim.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

columnist

Bill Simmons William John Simmons III (born September 25, 1969) is an American sports analyst, author, podcaster, and former sports writer who is the founder and CEO of the sports and pop culture website '' The Ringer''. Simmons first gained attention with ...

commented that Bowen was "a cheap player who's going to seriously hurt someone someday", but Simmons also acknowledged that Bowen "ultimately makes his team better." The Spurs went on to beat the Suns, and Bowen's defense contributed to the Spurs winning their fourth championship in the

2007 NBA Finals The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2006–07 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs de ...

2007–09: Final years in San Antonio

In the 2007–08 NBA season, the now 36-year-old veteran Bowen played and started in 81 of 82 regular season games, earning his fifth straight nomination in the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Ever controversial, Bowen was fined $7,000 and suspended for one game for kicking

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...

after Paul had fallen to the floor during a March 12, 2008 game. Bowen finished as the runner-up behind

Marcus Camby Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...

for the league's defensive player of the year award. In the 2008 NBA playoffs, Bowen was unable to stop Los Angeles Lakers guard

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

, who averaged 28.3 points and helped L.A. beat the Spurs in five games. Bowen started in every Spurs regular season and playoff game from 2001 to 2008. The

2008–09 NBA season The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, four games to one. The 2008 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2008, and Derrick Rose ...

was to be Bowen's last with the Spurs. Although he played in 80 regular-season games, he was no longer a starter as was the case in the previous seven San Antonio campaigns. His minutes were also greatly reduced (from 30+ to 18.9 per game), although his shooting numbers remained consistent. The Spurs went into the

2009 NBA playoffs The 2009 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando M ...

with a 54–28 record and as the third seed. With influential shooting guard

Manu Ginóbili Emanuel David Ginóbili Maccari (, , ; born 28 July 1977) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Over a 23-year professional career, he became one of only two players (along with Bill Bradley) to have won a EuroLeague title, an ...

out injured, the Spurs got off to a bad start to the series and eventually lost 4–1 against the Dallas Mavericks, bowing out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2000. On June 23, 2009, Bowen was traded along with Kurt Thomas and

Fabricio Oberto Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto (; born March 21, 1975) is an Argentine-Italian color analyst and former professional basketball player. At , he played as a center and power forward. With the LNB club Atenas, in his native Argentina, Oberto began p ...

to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

for

Richard Jefferson Richard Allen Jefferson Jr. (born June 21, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on ESPN. He played college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats. Jefferson was drafted in the first round of the 200 ...

. He was released on July 31, 2009 and retired on September 3, 2009. On March 21, 2012, the Spurs retired Bowen's #12 jersey. Bowen's jersey was the seventh retired by the Spurs. With Bowen's permission, the Spurs reissued the number 12 for free agent

LaMarcus Aldridge LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge (born July 19, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for two seasons with the Texas Longhorns. ...

in 2015.

National team career

In 2006 U.S. coach

Mike Krzyzewski Michael William Krzyzewski ( ; born February 13, 1947), nicknamed "Coach K", is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022, during which he led the Blue Devils to five natio ...

invited Bowen to join the

United States men's national basketball team The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...

, which participated in the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. At 35, he was the oldest player to participate; Krzyzewski said that the team needed a defensive player like Bowen. However, Bowen received little playing time, despite the injuries of fellow swingmen and guards

Antawn Jamison Antawn Cortez Jamison (; born June 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison playe ...

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...

and

Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...

. Although he participated in several training sessions and training camps, Bowen was eventually cut from the team. He expressed disappointment and said he hoped to make the 2008 Olympics squad, but was not named to the team in the end.

Player profile

The , Bowen played the

, and occasionally the

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

, position. He had a reputation for being one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, earning himself eight consecutive nominations for the

First and Second Teams from 2001 to 2008. From 2005 to 2007, he was second in voting for the

, beaten only by

centers Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics * Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Ben Wallace (2005 and 2006) and

(2007) who are both post defenders. His accolades for defense were accompanied by persistent allegations of dirty, dangerous play. Bowen was not known for his offensive production. He was seldom sought on offense, having never attempted more than 600 field goals in an entire 82-game regular season, and his career averages of 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, and .575

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the Key (basketball), restricted ...

shooting were considered mediocre, never earning him nominations for NBA All-Star or

All-NBA The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

First or Second Teams. His free throw shooting, in fact, was poor enough that he was at times been made the target of the

Hack-a-Shaq Hack-a-Shaq is a basketball defensive strategy used in the National Basketball Association (NBA) that involves committing intentional fouls (originally a clock management strategy) for the purpose of lowering opponents' scoring. The strategy was o ...

defense. However, opposing teams could not leave Bowen wide open on offense, because he was also an accurate three-point shooter (.393 career average on 2,082 attempts), particularly from the corner. In addition, despite his age Bowen played 500 consecutive games between February 28, 2002, and March 12, 2008, leading ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

'' to name him in 2007 the "Iron Man" of the NBA.

Post-playing career

Bowen often speaks out against child obesity. In 2004, he started the "GET FIT with Bruce and Buddy" program for children's healthy nutrition and daily sports activities. He runs the Bruce Bowen

Foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

, an organization set up to provide scholarships and bursaries. In 2006, he received a college degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton; he had also taken classes at the

University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public research university in San Antonio, Texas. With over 34,000 students across its four campuses spanning 758 acres, UTSA is the largest university in San Antonio and the eighth-largest by ...

.UTSA holds annual Athletics Banquet on Thursday night
. goUTSA.com. Retrieved November 23, 2012. He has stated that he wants to become a teacher. In 2011, Bowen was inducted into the

Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

. Bowen worked for

as an NBA analyst after he retired. Bowen spent the 2017–18 season as a color analyst for

Fox Sports West Bally Sports West is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of Bally Sports, along with its sister network Bally Sports ...

television broadcasts of the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

' games. He was relieved of his duties after making comments critical of

Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( ; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star with three All-NBA ...

, a free agent and trade target of the Clippers. In April 2019, Bowen was hired as boys' basketball coach at Cornerstone Christian School in San Antonio.

Personal life

Bowen regards Robert and Sandra Thrash, a Los Angeles couple that he met in church during his college years, as his adoptive parents. In 2004, Bowen married Yardley Barbon, a

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

native of Cuban descent, and the couple had two sons. The two divorced in 2012. In 2006, he received a college degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton; he had also taken classes at the

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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, 61 , , 9 , , 21.4 , , .409 , , .339 , , .623 , , 2.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 1 , , 16.5 , , .280 , , .269 , , .458 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , .7 , , .3 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 42 , , 0 , , 7.4 , , .356 , , .500 , , .500 , , .9 , , .4 , , .2 , , .1 , , 1.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 27 , , 2 , , 21.0 , , .380 , , .464 , , .613 , , 2.2 , , .7 , , .5 , , .4 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 72 , , 32.7 , , .363 , , .336 , , .609 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 59 , , 59 , , 28.8 , , .389 , , .378 , , .479 , , 2.7 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 31.3 , , .466 , , .441 , , .404 , , 2.9 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .5 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 32.0 , , .420 , , .363 , , .579 , , 3.1 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 32.0 , , .420 , , .403 , , .634 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .5 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 33.6 , , .433 , , .424 , , .607 , , 3.9 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 7.5 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 30.0 , , .405 , , .384 , , .589 , , 2.7 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 30.2 , , .407 , , .419 , , .652 , , 2.9 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .3 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 10 , , 18.9 , , .422 , , .429 , , .538 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .4 , , .2 , , 2.7 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 873 , , 644 , , 27.6 , , .409 , , .393 , , .575 , , 2.8 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .3 , , 6.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 15.7 , , .370 , , .227 , , .625 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .7 , , .4 , , 3.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 19.3 , , .313 , , .250 , , .000 , , .7 , , .7 , , .7 , , .7 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 34.5 , , .410 , , .440 , , .500 , , 3.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 24 , , 24 , , 31.3 , , .372 , , .438 , , .548 , , 2.9 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .7 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 29.8 , , .365 , , .379 , , .231 , , 2.9 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .3 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 23 , , 35.4 , , .359 , , .433 , , .647 , , 2.9 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .6 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 13 , , 13 , , 34.0 , , .525 , , .500 , , .500 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 20 , , 34.5 , , .395 , , .446 , , .500 , , 4.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 17 , , 29.9 , , .398 , , .407 , , .727 , , 1.9 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .3 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 2 , , 26.0 , , .538 , , .556 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , .6 , , .0 , , 4.2 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 135 , , 122 , , 31.0 , , .394 , , .422 , , .553 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 6.0

Notes

References

External links

BruceBowen.com Personal website
* *

in ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

''
Source: Bucks deal Jefferson to Spurs
in '' Entertainment Sports Programming Network''
Source: Clippers hire Bruce Bowen to be analyst replacing Michael Smith
in ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Bruce 1971 births Living people African-American basketball players ALM Évreux Basket players American expatriate basketball people in France American men's basketball players Basketball players from California Besançon BCD players Boston Celtics players Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball players Fort Wayne Fury players National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Miami Heat players People from Merced, California Philadelphia 76ers players Rockford Lightning players San Antonio Spurs players Small forwards Sportspeople from Fresno, California STB Le Havre players Undrafted National Basketball Association players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Early years

Professional career

Le Havre (1993–1994)

Évreux (1994–1995)

Rockford Lightning (1995–1996)

Besançon (1996–1997)

Return to the Lightning (1997)

Miami Heat (1997)

Boston Celtics (1997–1999)

Philadelphia 76ers (1999–2000)

Return to Miami (2000–2001)

San Antonio Spurs (2001–2009)

2001–03: First championship

2003–04: Back-to-back chase

2005–07: Second and third championships

2007–09: Final years in San Antonio

National team career

Player profile

Post-playing career

Personal life

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

Notes

References

External links