Bruce Bowen will hold a press conference tomorrow

Bowen is one of the classiest guys in the league..yes, he is a dirty player, but I can probably name you at least 20 players that have or will have their jerseys retired that have reputations as "dirty" players..just because there are so many whiners in this soft league, doesn't mean Bowen shouldn't get his jersey retired for it..

Notice that pretty much everybody that has called out Bowen has had a reputation as moist and soft..shit, I hate Kobe, but he's one of the toughest guys in the league, and he has loved playing against Bowen..

Absolutely deserves to have his jersey retired, and nobody can argue against the facts..his accolades as an ELITE defensive player on MULTIPLE title teams will easily do it for him..

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Originally Posted by greyforest

as much as i love all of the things you just described, the spurs always pride themselves on being a class act franchise. bowen, despite his friendly demeanor off court does have some undeniable dirt associated with him.

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?

What dirt would this be?

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Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37

Bowen is one of the classiest guys in the league..yes, he is a dirty player, but I can probably name you at least 20 players that have or will have their jerseys retired that have reputations as "dirty" players..just because there are so many whiners in this soft league, doesn't mean Bowen shouldn't get his jersey retired for it..

Notice that pretty much everybody that has called out Bowen has had a reputation as moist and soft..shit, I hate Kobe, but he's one of the toughest guys in the league, and he has loved playing against Bowen..

Absolutely deserves to have his jersey retired, and nobody can argue against the facts..his accolades as an ELITE defensive player on MULTIPLE title teams will easily do it for him..

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He was not dirty.

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Originally Posted by EricB

He was not dirty.

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I love Bruce - and I loved his style of play -- but if he were on any other team, many people (you included) would want him crucified.

theres a reason people talk about bowen playing dirty. there are more incidents than chance alone could account for.

that doesn't detract at all from his otherwise classy demeanor and top echelon skill, but these things must be weighed together when deciding who to retire, and i'm just noting that the spurs franchise values class a lot.

What is that saying... something like "if you aren't cheating you aren't trying"?

Yeah, the dude played HARD defense. Sometimes he pushed the boundaries. But it wasn't because he was deliberately attempting to do so; the guy wanted to make sure his man never touched the ball, and if he did, that he never made a shot. When Kobe is in the air, Bruce doesn't have time to stop and think "oh no, I need to contest this shot, but I better make sure I only do it to the extent that I do not land underneath him."

As anyone who has ever played any type of competitive sports will agree, in the heat of the moment, you simply don't have that time. I used to run x-country; not that I ever wanted to injure someone else, but it happened. I'd step on a dude's heel trying to pass him; one guy and I were hurdling a bail of hay, our legs got tangled, and he fell hard. IT HAPPENS. In the heat of the moment, if you want to win, you cover your own ass first.

If you are consciously following every single rule, you aren't trying. Bruce tried his ass off. In the process, yeah, some people might have gotten injured or a bit offended. It's called "competition." If you sign up to play the game, you sign up to compete. If Vince Carter doesn't like getting physical, he should take up figure skating. Or soccer.

Saying Bruce Bowen has an asterisk on his retirement because he was a "dirty player" is like saying David Robinson deserves an asterisk because he was "soft." There are different ways to play the game. They both played it in the style of their choosing. So what?

Bruce Bowen will always be a Spur, retired or not. The guy meant a lot to the franchise and just as much if not more to the city. He worked selflessly and with the goal of helping the team succeed; he gave back the the community and genuinely cared about helping those around him. He was a class act on the floor and off. The kind of role model you want for your kids.

Bowen, thanks for the memories.

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Originally Posted by baseline bum

Damn, I was really hoping to see Bruce back for one more shot a title. :(

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LOL not in this decade!

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Originally Posted by Showtime24 LAKERS

LOL not in this decade!

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Karma's a bitch. Remember that in the Spring.

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Originally Posted by Samr

Saying Bruce Bowen has an asterisk on his retirement because he was a "dirty player" is like saying David Robinson deserves an asterisk because he was "soft." There are different ways to play the game. They both played it in the style of their choosing. So what?
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Who's saying there's an asterisk on anything? Bruce was amazing. Ridiculously quick, tenacious, etc. But, if you (or anyone) has the gall to call any single player in the NBA dirty, then Bruce has to be considered in that argument.

I'm fine with everything he did, but I also don't bitch about other players as being dirty.

All I'm saying is, don't use the double standard. Either acknowledge that he was dirty, or acknowledge that all the other 'dirty players' in the league are just playing hard.

Kinda brings a tear to my eye, Bruce has truly embodied what the Spurs as a franchise have stood for over the last 10 years. Defense. Hard work. Team-first mentality. I will be flying to SA to whatever game they retire the jersey at.

Bruce isn't any dirtier than Jordan or other hyper-competitive players.

I think this is all being done for dramatic effect. Bruce will retire, we'll retire his jersey. Then at the end of the season he'll re-sign with the Spurs and we'll bring his Jersey down from the rafters and he'll burn his dress shirt and change into the jersey. Don't y'all watch the movies?

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Originally Posted by tp2021

Do players usually hold retirement press conferences at a non-organizational location?

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Stephon Marbury held his on Ustream

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Originally Posted by EricB

Jersey should hang IMMEDIATELY this year.

Find a night in early December please :)

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Naw, next year. Leave the door open a crack, just in case we need swingman because of injury issues just before the playoffs...

1 more year Bruce Baby....

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Originally Posted by HarlemHeat37

Bowen is one of the classiest guys in the league..yes, he is a dirty player, but I can probably name you at least 20 players that have or will have their jerseys retired that have reputations as "dirty" players..just because there are so many whiners in this soft league, doesn't mean Bowen shouldn't get his jersey retired for it..

Notice that pretty much everybody that has called out Bowen has had a reputation as moist and soft..shit, I hate Kobe, but he's one of the toughest guys in the league, and he has loved playing against Bowen..

Absolutely deserves to have his jersey retired, and nobody can argue against the facts..his accolades as an ELITE defensive player on MULTIPLE title teams will easily do it for him..

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I love the sig that a laker fan here has iirc, where a pic with Kobe and Bowen has the caption: "game respects game".

Bruce was competitive dirty, but he wasnt i want to injure you dirty. The only real stain on Bruce's career was the kick to Ray allen's back. other than that there's really nothing, VC missing a couple weeks after twisting his ankle on him barely registers as anything. when you take into consideration that bruce played almost all of his many minutes guarding the other teams best player (and was therefore in the spotlight as the "bad guy" everytime he played) theres barely 4-5 accidental collisions that didnt result in any injury and people use them to imply he was(!?) a headhunter when nothing could be further from the truth.

If this is retirement I hope he gets his honors and keeps some kind of position near the team.

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Originally Posted by Drachen

Stephon Marbury held his on Ustream

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:wow:rollin

[QUOTE=Da Spurs;3666136]Nope.[/QUOTE Are you retarded or what?....How the fuck can you not put his jersey in the rafters?...Stupid fucking comment...

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Originally Posted by Samr

What is that saying... something like "if you aren't cheating you aren't trying"?

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That is a fucking horrible saying. I've played competitive sports, and dirty play can easily be thought of "in the moment", or before if you want to get technical. Not saying Bruce shouldn't have his jersey hanging from the rafters, but he was intentionally dirty at times in his career. But above all, he intentionally tried to be the best he could at defense, and became a mostly shining example of individual/perimeter D.

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If Vince Carter doesn't like getting physical, he should take up figure skating. Or soccer.

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Idk if you just have not played competitive soccer, or if you're just joking and I'm overreacting, but are you fucking kidding me!?! Soccer is physical, don't let the flopping of the professional level fool you. The lower levels, such as club and high school soccer are intense, even if it's not a pressure game, or there is no real rivalry. There is a lot of things players can get away with, especially in a game where your arms are in no way needed (outside of keepers), and in many cases players end up on a collision course going for the ball, and someone will have to give, or it'll get ugly. And don't even get me started on multiple players going for headers.

And to talk about the first thing I quoted you on, being dirty isn't a crime of passion imo, it is a temptation that I have been able to mostly resist. But I've never played in professional leagues/national tourneys, so the temptation might be too much there. Also, I'm not a great actor, so I would probably get caught most of the time, lol.

Yes, soccer was a joke. I know it's physical; I tried playing it recreationally with a dude who wanted to play it professionally. I've never felt so sore in my life. But, I had to pick on someone, and soccer players are just the natural target.

As far as cheating being a temptation -- and I'm NOT talking about Bowen here at all -- just look at all the steroids not just in baseball but in professional sports in general. Track stars, baseball players, baseball players, some football players. Hell, I LOVE the sport of cycling, but cheating (e.g. steroids) is so prevalent that absolutely everyone is under question, and the champions are essentially guilty until proven innocent. But the reason for it is obvious: if you are competitive, there's A LOT of money on the table. But in order to be competitive, if the person isn't naturally one of the best, they have to cheat.

So yeah, for mediocre players who can make money if they succeed, if they aren't cheating they aren't trying. It's a gamble they're willing to take, and IMO it's absolutely terrible for the quality of competition, and for the fans.

Yessir, it belongs in the rafters asap.

1st post, great forum and Bruce was one mean mothereffer on D. I'll be staying tuned to what he has to say.

No guys, this "retirement" presser is just so they can really dodge any "collusion" talk once and for all.

Oh wait, no, he's really retiring.

Thank you for all the great years Bruce.