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He was not dirty.
?
What dirt would this be?
He was not dirty.
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 compe ive 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 "compe ion." 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.
LOL not in this decade!Damn, I was really hoping to see Bruce back for one more shot a le.
Karma's a . Remember that in the Spring.
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 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-compe ive 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?
Stephon Marbury held his on Ustream
Naw, next year. Leave the door open a crack, just in case we need swingman because of injury issues just before the playoffs...Jersey should hang IMMEDIATELY this year.
Find a night in early December please
1 more year Bruce Baby....
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 compe ive 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.
[QUOTE=Da Spurs;3666136]Nope.[/QUOTE Are you re ed or what?....How the can you not put his jersey in the rafters?...Stupid ing comment...
That is a ing horrible saying. I've played compe ive 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.
Idk if you just have not played compe ive soccer, or if you're just joking and I'm overreacting, but are you ing 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.If Vince Carter doesn't like getting physical, he should take up figure skating. Or soccer.
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. , 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 compe ive, there's A LOT of money on the table. But in order to be compe ive, 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 compe ion, 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.
Welcome to the board.
Out of his many great defensive plays, I think the one that stands out for me is that perfect block on Billups in game 7 of the finals.
Yeah I remember that one too. It was awesome because of the size difference. That block he had on Chauncey just pretty much told me yep, this series is over. He pretty much took the air out of the Pistons with that one.
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