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It would have sucked balls to see him playing with someone else.
Bowen sells No. 12, and Spurs should buy
Buck Harvey
Not everyone calls a press conference to say it’s over.
Sean Elliott, for example, didn’t.
But not everyone took public relations classes at UTSA during an NBA season. Not everyone has a salon and spa to promote, and not everyone waded into the community as Bruce Bowen did for eight years.
He would sometimes make as many as 50 appearances in a year, when the NBA contractually requires only a dozen from each player.
So Bowen worked every angle Thursday, as he did for a career, and along the way he made another case why the Spurs should someday retire his jersey.
Not everyone in the Spurs organization sees this yet.
When on the court, Bowen earned a jersey retirement, too. But just as his salesmanship was in play at his press conference, it was in the beginning.
Then, as a teenager, he disguised his voice, pretending to be his high school coach, and he put in a call to Cal-Fullerton.
His hot tip: You’ve got to see this Bruce Bowen kid.
“My brother taught me to have a go-get at ude,” Bowen said later. “If something’s not given to you, go get it.”
He wouldn’t always follow that. When he wasn’t drafted, he played in France, and he was disillusioned. He became both a pretty scorer and an ugly American; he would skip workouts as a protest.
Bowen later admitted he was “immature.” The one who helped counsel him, coincidentally, was Tony Parker’s father.
Bowen would return to both the U.S. and his instincts. He would work harder, and he would concentrate on something few others concentrated on. Defense.
He would still be traded and waived before finding a place with the Miami Heat. He earned $733,200 that season when he started 72 games, and he thought he might cash in.
He instead signed with the Spurs for the minimum of $716,000.
The summer of 2001 was a remarkable one. The Spurs added Bowen, Parker and Stephen Jackson for a combined total of approximately $2 million. In their second season together, all three would start on a championship team.
Bowen’s story stretched further. After all, he came to San Antonio at age 30, without a hint he would be special.
“But, for me, maybe that was better,” he said Thursday. “I got ‘it.’ If I’d been another player, maybe I wouldn’t have worked as hard.”
Instead, he’d head to the practice facility at midnight to drill with Spurs assistant Brett Brown. His energy was unmatched.
Still, even at basketball, selling was important. He could always move his feet on defense, and he understood every detail. Just as critical, however, was that he needed the refs to buy into his on-the-ball aggression.
He may have been dirty to the other 29 franchises, but not to league officials.
By 2007, after he’d irritated Steve Nash and LeBron James, the opinion printed here was this: Bowen, having established the defensive tone that led to three les, deserved to see No. 12 raised in the arena.
Spurs officials are currently noncommittal. Replacing Bowen this offseason has been more pressing than honoring him.
So then came Thursday, when Bowen wanted some finality. He thanked everyone, answered some questions and peppered the names of various companies he’s worked with.
Asked whether his jersey should be retired, he gave the right answer. He said that was never what he thought about.
Still, even those words were telling. Bowen had sold himself, just as he had in the community for years, and in doing so he had outlined why a night to retire his jersey makes perfect sense for the Spurs.
It would be good business, wouldn’t it?
It would have sucked balls to see him playing with someone else.
It would be a travesty if #12 isn't up in the rafters by the end of this coming season.
Bowen > Elliott >> AJ >>>>>>>>>>>>> Johnny Moore
wow.the spurs added bowen, parker and stephen jackson for a combined total of approximately $2 million. In their second season together, all three would start on a championship team.
Agreed.
It's a no-brainer that Bruce's jersey should be retired. I can't believe the Spurs need convincing of this.
:faint
Someone ought do a poll. I think we did one before and Bruce got like 90% in favor of his jersey being retired, and that was 3 years ago or so. Before his performance on LeBron in the 2007 Finals(which was arguably a finals MVP worthy performance).
Or better yet, this would be a good time for San Antonio to get on the Spurs asses about this. Every time Spurs fans do that the Spurs give them what they want.
You want Bruce's jersery retired? Let the Spurs know it.
Just like when they were gonna screw Drob on his contract.
Just like when AJ retired.
Just like when they were going to screw Parker on his contract.
You can get this done SA...all you have to do is let them know.
In my mind, Bruce is as much a lock to have his jersey retired as Tim, Tony and Manu. There should be no second thoughts about retiring any of the numbers of those 4 players.
Makes you wonder why, especially when they recently retired AJ.
Bruce Bowen is the greatest. He represents the Spurs as well as anyone who ever put on a Spurs jersey. He worked hard. He became a champion. His jersey belongs in the rafters. I will really miss watching him play.
Bruce should definitely get his jersey retired, but I have to disagree that he as better than Sean. Bruce was a better defender obviously, but Sean was an amazing offensive player as well as being a solid defender.
Seems to me that the real solution is to have 2 types of honors.
One would be the better known "retired uniform" ceremony where the number is retired and the jersey is hung from the rafters.
But we need a second type whereby a popular player who is not per se a Hall of Fame type player but contributed greatly to the team's success and / or who is really popular with the community can be honored. In this case the honor is that the player's uniform is hung in this section but the number is not retired. In doing so the team can honor all the special players they want without "watering down" (bad choice of words, I know) the real honor of having a number retired. Gervin and Robinson are no doubt in the number retirement type, whereas Bruce would be the second type. Perhaps even make a rule that you have to have your uni hung in honor by the 2nd type for 10 years before being eligible for the number retirement honor.
What do you think?
Not everyone was "on board" with AJ at first thought either. Like fans, some people initially think that jersey retirement is more a numbers thing. As soon as people in the organization think about it (just like with AJ), it will become a "no brainer" as Pop would say.
If the spurs had played without Bruce, it would have been impossible to win that 3 championship
Wow, I find it amazing how many people are for retirement when just a while back we had a thread about it, and so many people were against it.
I think you retire the jersey. Bowen's contributions on the court can't be quantified by numbers. And yes, he should have been a darkhorse for Finals MVP in 2007. His defense, along with Duncan's, was absolutely amazing.
That's why I do not think it will happen this season, as others have suggested. I also think the idea of 2 in consecutive seasons is too close, unless it were a David or Tim type player.
Bruce's number will certainly be retired, and deservedly so. The only real question is the matter of timing. There are no rules for such things. The powers that be in any given franchise make these decisions according to their own standards.
Popovich/Holt provided an immediate ceremony for David Robinson in the first month of the regular season following his last game. Sean had to wait nearly four years after retirement and more than a year after David. Avery's ceremony was more than six years after his last game as a Spur and more than four years after David.
Duncan will surely get an immediate ceremony. It remains to be seen if other members of the 03-07 era will have their ceremonies delayed until after number 21 is raised.
One last thing. Despite Bruce saying all the right things about his retirement being irreversible, there is still a tiny chance that some offer at midseason will be too good to refuse. I would be surprised to see a Bowen ceremony earlier than the 2010-11 season, but I plan to attend it whenever it happens.
Kori,
How many people really have a vote on a decision like this? It seems to me that if Pop and Holt are on the same side of this issue, then that's it. I'm sure they accept input from others, but does anyone else actually have a vote that counts?
I'm not really sure the Spurs need convincing. I think people will wait and wonder and shout their protests until the Spurs orgo comes out and officially says it will happen, but Bruce has only been retired one day. Something tells me it will be a little while before any such announcement is made.
But I'm sure the organization appreciates just as much, if not more, what Bruce brought to the table. They'll make sure that jersey ends up among the Spurs' greats.
I agree with this. I definately put David, Tim, Parker, Gervin, Elliott, in a different place than bruce, aj.
If for some reason they don't retire his number, I might have to pull a Mavfan and convince myself that they did.
Well I think if they retired AJ's jersey, then they lowerd the standard per se. but anyways I think now Bowen definitly deserves his jersey retired. He was part of the core of the championship teams. He didn't have star power like the big 3, but he was always part of the equation. His defense helped win championships and he hit big shots during those runs as well.
I really wish they hadn't retired AJ's number.
Bowen will be inducted into the Cal State Fulleron Hall of Fame on Oct. 10.
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