Ocotillo
06-28-2005, 12:50 PM
I am pretty sure most of you saw the halftime piece on Bruce Bowen and his childhood and how it was pretty rough. He did have an external family that obviously did a great job of instilling values and ethic in him.
Tony Parker made a reference to watching BB play in France when he (Parker) was 12 years old. He joked that Bruce didn't play any defense, he was all offense then. It was true. In Europe BB was primarily an offensive threat. He bounced around the world playing wherever he could get a paycheck and finally made his way back to the states and became a defensive specialist in the NBA with the Miami Heat.
Bruce took a modest contract to play on the Spurs. He wasn't going to get a lot of money anywhere because you generally didn't see him doing spectacular dunks on SportsCenter or read about him from the likes of Vescey, Ric Bucher, Stephen A. Smith, etc..... NBA management knew about him and what he brought to the table but defense doens't land you big contracts unless you block shots.
Bowen took the contract and worked his ass off and became the best perimeter defender that you never heard about outside of San Antonio. He got a ring in 2003. He got a better contract.
You also began to hear more about him not from the national writers or the talking heads on Sports Center but from guys like Vince Carter and Ray Allen. What they had to say wasn't flattering either. But Bruce kept doing what he does and getting better at it.
While his reputation on the floor grew keep in mind Bowen got a a degree at UTSA, led a clean life, became the leading spokesperson on the roster for this team and showed that despite what your background is like, the measure of a man is in his heart and his work ethic and when you have those in abundance, you can accomplish great things.
If I ever met Bruce personally, I would tell him he is a helluva a man. Not that he is a great player or I love to watch him and the Spurs play. I would tell him a respect him for who he is and what is inside of him.
Tony Parker made a reference to watching BB play in France when he (Parker) was 12 years old. He joked that Bruce didn't play any defense, he was all offense then. It was true. In Europe BB was primarily an offensive threat. He bounced around the world playing wherever he could get a paycheck and finally made his way back to the states and became a defensive specialist in the NBA with the Miami Heat.
Bruce took a modest contract to play on the Spurs. He wasn't going to get a lot of money anywhere because you generally didn't see him doing spectacular dunks on SportsCenter or read about him from the likes of Vescey, Ric Bucher, Stephen A. Smith, etc..... NBA management knew about him and what he brought to the table but defense doens't land you big contracts unless you block shots.
Bowen took the contract and worked his ass off and became the best perimeter defender that you never heard about outside of San Antonio. He got a ring in 2003. He got a better contract.
You also began to hear more about him not from the national writers or the talking heads on Sports Center but from guys like Vince Carter and Ray Allen. What they had to say wasn't flattering either. But Bruce kept doing what he does and getting better at it.
While his reputation on the floor grew keep in mind Bowen got a a degree at UTSA, led a clean life, became the leading spokesperson on the roster for this team and showed that despite what your background is like, the measure of a man is in his heart and his work ethic and when you have those in abundance, you can accomplish great things.
If I ever met Bruce personally, I would tell him he is a helluva a man. Not that he is a great player or I love to watch him and the Spurs play. I would tell him a respect him for who he is and what is inside of him.