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Matt Bonner has a shoe contract.
*goes outside to look for flying pigs...
Spurs' Bonner sees himself as 'boring guy'
By Bryan Chu - Express-News
Matt Bonner isn't likely to win a most valuable player award during his career.
Nor is he likely to make an Olympic team or grace the cover of a video game. It doesn't look like the paparazzi will be bombarding Bonner either.
But that is all right with the fifth-year forward, who doesn't fit the mold of a typical NBA player.
“I tell people I'm a minor celebrity in three places on the planet: San Antonio, New Hampshire and Toronto,” said Bonner, who is New Hampshire's second NBA player after Jeff Cross. “And by minor, I mean minor. Most people that recognize me don't care.”
Last month, Bonner had a charity tournament at Canyon Springs golf club. He shook several dozen hands and smiled just as many times for pictures.
“That always cracks me up,” Bonner said. “Why would you want to have your picture with me when I'm just like everyone else? I'll never get used to that.”
Bonner isn't the most popular Spurs player, but is important to the team, especially given injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who returned to action Monday night.
Though he fell out of the rotation earlier this season (he averaged 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 11.3 minutes of action per game, including back-to-back games where he did not play), the past six games have been different. Off the bench, Bonner has averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game.
“He's a guy that continues to work at the craft and is willing to learn,” Spurs forward Bruce Bowen said. “He's definitely shown he's improved, and we'll keep looking for that.”
There is little flash in Bonner's game, which carries into his personal life.
Bonner is a self-proclaimed “boring guy” who likes staying at home and reading. He's into Indie Rock. Things he's revealed on his bio: He's never had a cavity and he has a bad habit of twisting his hair.
He drives a 2006 white Pontiac Grand Prix; in college he had a hand-me-down 1999 Hyundai while playing at Florida, where he had a 3.96 GPA in business administration.
“They are jealous” of his ride, Bonner, 28, said of his teammates. “They know I can take any one of them off the line.”
Despite making $2.978 million this year and $3.256 next year, Bonner remains frugal. Former Spurs guard Brent Barry, who is now with the Houston Rockets, remembers a time in Sacramento when Bonner was getting a snack at his favorite spot: Subway.
“Matt had a coupon for half off a sandwich, which said: ‘Valid at participating stores only,'” Barry said. “The owner said we're not ‘participating stores' and Matt was like ‘Well aren't you a Subway? I walk outside and I see the name ‘Subway.'” After 10 minutes, he talked his way to half off a turkey sandwich. He saved like $2.16.”
Added Bowen: “It's not about what you make, it's about what you keep. He understands that motto perfectly.”
His penchant for being economical came to the forefront in his first year in the NBA with the Raptors in 2004. He earned the nickname “Red Rocket” for being a fan of riding Toronto's red streetcars, which had the slogan “Ride the Rocket.”
A big part of Bonner's career has been giving back.
In his hometown of Concord, Bonner has his own charity, Sneakers –N– Speakers, a basketball clinic that gives its proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He and his wife, Nadia, are regular volunteers for “Basketball without Borders,” an NBA summer camp for youths across the world.
“I feel like I have not so much a responsibility, but an opportunity to really have a positive influence and effect on kids' lives,” Bonner said.
Many people don't know this, but Bonner's brand is slowly developing.
While the majority of NBA players wear Nike, Adidas or Reebok basketball shoes, Bonner sports black ones from New Balance, a company known more for its running shoes than hightops. Only a handful of guys in the NBA wear them, said Bonner, who convinced teammate Anthony Tolliver to switch over.
Bonner signed a contract with New Balance, and he'll have his own shoe coming out: the Matt Bonner limited edition New Hampshire basketball shoes. They'll have the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation that became an icon in New Hampshire, on the tongue, and it will say “Live Free or Die” — the state motto — on the back.
“They're going to be a hot item,” Bonner said.
Matt Bonner's Keys to Frugality
Tip No. 5: I eat a lot of sandwiches and I always get my "sandwich club cards" stamped so I can cash them out when they're full.
Tip No. 4: I take advantage of free stuff. For example, I'm with the New Balance this year so I live in my old school gray 574s which I get for free.
Tip No. 3: I don't drive a wicked expensive car. I still claim my Pontiac Grand Prix can take any of Tim Duncan's cars ... well maybe not all of them.
Tip No. 2: Buy in bulk ... If the toilet paper, soap and laundry detergent industries go on a strike we should be all set for years.
Tip No. 1: Make sure any catalogs in the mail go straight to the trash can before my wife can get her hands on them.
Matt Bonner has a shoe contract.
*goes outside to look for flying pigs...
Bonner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this only makes me love bonner more.
not that i ever hated him..
Every team needs its quirky character or two.. Now that Barry's gone, Bonner fills that role for the Spurs.
I feel bad for trashing him the last 2 years.
I wish he was telling his sad story on some other team. His giant body doesnt help out our giant bodys one bit. He has the body of 4 or 5, but plays like 2 or 3. I do hope he continues to play good. Thats the only way we can trade him. And Im pretty sure thats what lies ahead for him. I just dont see Bonner in the spurs future. Not when its a big body we need to rebound and block shots. To this day even thou he can hit that 3, he is lost out there when it comes to playing team defense.
Congrats on the column, Johnny Blaze!
If Bonner had a little more edge to him and wasn't so "boring" he'd be a much better player. Get some ing confidence.
......and has officially frozen over.
Because they are both "shooting bigs", it will be interesting to see the season-long battle for playing time between he and Tolliver.
I don't care what anyone says - Bonner freakin' rocks!
Oh, and that Subway story kicks ass! I'm gonna have to try that, since I practically live at Subway.
You're re ed. Tim Duncan is self-proclaimed 'boring' in this same way. Does he lack confidence?
If you glanced past your hate for the best big this season outside of Timmy D, you'd see he's already a very good player and has ZERO confidence issues. You can't be a knockdown three point shooter having confidence issues, but you and Mrs Purse (who I really wish would just GTFO, no one respects her opinions nor her because they're equally as stupid as your above post) will continue hating on someone who is completely undeserving of it.
I also see "The Profesor" reading, what happened to Bonner only having one good game, asshole? Oh, now it'll be a stretch of good games when the Spurs need you most isn't enough?
LOL @ Bonner getting his own shoes.
Bonner's clearly a good guy.
I'll miss that about him.
Haha sounds like a quirky guy. Also LOL @ Matt Bonner Shoes
hahaha. z0sa you're one of the few i agree with pretty much on everything here on ST.
Last edited by koriwhat; 11-26-2008 at 01:28 PM.
Yeah, I've noticed we get along pretty well.hahaha. z0sa you're one of the few i agree with pretty much on everything here on ST.
This just in, you've been traded to spursreport for someone who posts less than you do.
You're an emotional little , aren't you? I don't hate Bonner. He's had a nice run of games and I hope that continues, but the fact is he's underacheived up to this point and has looked shaky with zero confidence at times. Maybe if he'd put a little effort into not being boring and being exeptional instead he'd have been contributing more than only the last 5 or 6 games.
calling me a "little " doesn't change how ignorant your statement was. In actuality I respect you as a poster and consider you generally knowledgeable, but this was one where its clear you just don't like the guy.
I gladly admit I am emotional about many things in life, including coming to Matt Bonner's defense when he is unrightfully ridiculed by poster after poster. Especially for being "boring," when the reason we have four championships is one damn "boringass" player named Tim Duncan.
Has no one noticed that once he got some consistent PT and a few shots to fall, he immediately became our second best big? Pop relegating him to the bench for long stretches of games when he's rusty and missing rotations wasn't the right move. I always said (search if you want) that with PT, his rotations would be improved. Whaddaya know? We get hit with injuries and flat play by the other bigs, he gets a chance, and now he's doing better than ever, ESPECIALLY on defense. Timvp has even said his speed AND strength on D has been something special since he got out of Pop's early doghouse session.I don't hate Bonner. He's had a nice run of games and I hope that continues, but the fact is he's underacheived up to this point and has looked shaky with zero confidence at times. Maybe if he'd put a little effort into not being boring and being exeptional instead he'd have been contributing more than only the last 5 or 6 games.
His stroke is looking better than ever, as well. All I ask is you understand WHY he was inconsistent, which had very little to do with his abilities and instead, with Pop's hardnosed doghousing.
Ahhhh! I wish he could see himself the way spurs fans see him......A very bad defender with short arms who gets out rebounded by dwarfs!
sigh... I give up.
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