Bruce Bowen Biography Bruce Bowen Bio If defense wins championships, then the San Antonio Spurs have a very important player in Bruce Bowen. The veteran is one of the premier defenders in the NBA today. An NBA All-Defensive first team member last season, Bowen made the All-Defensive second team the previous three seasons. In 2003, Bowen was a key member of the Spurs championship team. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t drafted out of Cal State Fullerton in 1993.Join Bruce in the Blog Squad as he talks about the Spurs and their quest for an NBA title. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • Named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team each of the last four seasons (second team selection in 2001, 2002 and 2003 before earning first team honors in 2004) • Just the fourth Spur to earn All-Defensive honors three-or-more times joining David Robinson (nine selections), Tim Duncan (seven) and Alvin Robertson (four) • Joins group of nine swingmen who have earned All-Defensive Team honors in four-or-more straight seasons: Kobe Bryant (‘00-04), Don Chaney (‘72-75), Doug Christie (‘01-04), Walt Frazier (‘69-75), John Havlicek (‘69-76), Michael Jordan (‘88-93), Scottie Pippen (‘90-00) and Alvin Robertson (‘86-91) • Has appeared in 190 consecutive games which is the longest current streak on the Spurs roster (last miss was 2/26/02 vs. Phoenix) • Ranks sixth on the Spurs all-time list in 3PT-FG made and ranks seventh in career 3PT-FG percentage with a .397 mark (234-589) • Ranks second on the team’s career playoff list in both 3PT-FG made, with 57, and 3PT-FG percentage, with a .425 mark (57-134) 2003-04 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team … one of two Spurs to appear in all 82 games (along with Nesterovic) … averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.02 steals in 32.0 minutes per game … shot .420 (211-502) from the field, .363 (77-212) from three-point land and .579 (66-114) from the line … scored in double-figures 22 times with a season-high 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 3PT-FG) vs. Sacramento on 3/31 … twice finished with 15: at New Orleans on 1/9 and vs. New Jersey on 1/21 … grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds at Sacramento on 3/14 … appeared in all 10 playoff games, averaging 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 29.8 minutes per contest. 2002-03 Led the NBA in 3PT-FG percentage with a .441 (101-229) mark from downtown ... named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the third straight season … started all 82 games for the first time in his career … averaged 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest … shot a career-best .466 (223-479) from the field and .404 (36-89) from the line … tied his career-high with 21 points (9-13 FG, 3-5 3PT-FG) in a career-best 47 minutes vs. New Orleans on 12/23 … scored in double-figures 20 times … finished with 18 points in 29 minutes vs. Denver on 2/18 … had 16 points and a career-high-tying 7 assists vs. Orlando on 4/1 … had a career-best 7 assists in a career-high-tying 47 minutes at Dallas on 3/20 … averaged 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 31.3 minutes in the post-season … started all 24 playoff games … finished with 27 points (10-12 FG, 7-8 3PT-FG) in 32 minutes in the Spurs Game 2 win over the Lakers on 5/7 … set the Spurs franchise record for the most 3PT-FG made in a playoff game … had 19 points (7-8 FG, 5-6 3PT-FG) in Game 4 at Phoenix on 4/27 … set new playoff career-highs in points (27 vs. Los Angeles on 5/7), rebounds (7 at New Jersey on 6/11), assists (4 at Dallas on 5/29), steals (4 at Dallas on 5/25) and blocks (3 vs. Los Angeles on 5/7 and vs. Dallas on 5/27). 2001-02 Earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Team for the second straight season … appeared in 59 games … averaged 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.05 steals in 28.8 minutes per contest … shot .389 (155-398) from the field, .378 (56-148) from three-point land and .479 (46-96) from the line … scored a career-high 21 points (8-8 FG, 4-4 3PT-FG, 1-2 FT) in 24 minutes at Atlanta on 12/5 … scored in double-figures 14 times … had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists vs. Denver on 4/10 … finished with 12 points and a career-high 6 assists at Portland on 3/27 … suffered a broken right middle finger at Boston on 1/29 … missed the next 23 games and the Spurs were 11-12 without him in the line-up (versus 47-12 in games he did play) … averaged 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a team-best 1.10 steals in 34.5 minutes in 10 playoff games … shot a team-high .440 (11-25) from three-point land in the post-season … scored a playoff career-high 13 points in Game 2 at Los Angeles on 5/7. 2000-01: Named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team … appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his NBA career, earning 72 starts (five at guard and 67 at forward) … averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.01 steals in 32.7 minutes per game … shot .363 (211-581) from the field, .336 (103-307) from three-point land and .609 (98-161) from the line … second on the team in 3PT-FGM … scored in double-figures 26 times, with a season-high 20 points vs. Milwaukee on 11/28 (in that game hit 6-of-12 from downtown, setting career marks in both 3PT-FG made and attempted) … set a career-high with 6 steals vs. New York on 4/8 … had 11 points and 7 boards in a career-best 46 minutes at New York on 3/11 … logged 40 or more minutes 11 times … set new single season career-highs in games, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, minutes, FGM, FGA, 3PT-FGM, 3PT-FGA, FTM and FTA … for the season logged more minutes (2,685 vs. 2,678), scored more points (623 vs. 606) and hit more threes (103 vs. 54) then he had in his first four seasons combined. 1999-2000 Started the season with the Sixers, after signing with the team on 9/16/99 … appeared in 42 games with Philadelphia before being traded to Chicago on 2/16 as part of a three-team deal … was waived by the Bulls on 2/18 and then claimed off waivers by the Heat on 2/23 … for the season appeared in 69 games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per contest … shot .371 from the field, .466 from three-point land and .581 from the line … averaged 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 21.0 minutes in 27 games with the Heat … earned two starts with the Heat, averaging 13.5 points in 33.0 minutes as a starter ... had a season-high 16 points (all in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter) vs. Philadelphia on 3/16 … scored in double-figures six times. 1998-99 Appeared in 30 games with the Celtics, averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per contest … shot .280 from the filed, .269 from three-point land and .458 from the line … earned one start … suffered a fractured right index finger and was on the injured list from 4/2 to 5/5, missing a total of 20 games due to the injury … scored a season-best 10 points in 15 minutes vs. Cleveland on 3/2 … had a season-best 7 boards in a season-high 42 minutes vs. Cleveland on 2/6. 1997-98 In his first full NBA season appeared in 61 games with the Celtics … averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.43 steals in 21.4 minutes per game … shot .409 from the field, .339 from three-point land and .623 from the line … earned nine starts … led the league in steal-to-turnover ratio with a 1.67-to-1 ratio (87 steals to 52 turnovers) … scored in double-figures 10 times, with a season-high 16 points and a season-best 5 steals in a season-high 37 minutes vs. Atlanta on 3/11 … also had 16 points in 30 minutes vs. Chicago on 12/3 … grabbed a career-high 9 rebounds and had a career-best 4 blocks vs. Philadelphia on 12/15 … missed seven games in November after suffering a nasal fracture (11/19-11/29) and then missed the final 13 games of the season due to a stress reaction of the fourth metatarsal in his left foot (3/25-4/18). 1996-97 Played in three different leagues … appeared in one game with the Heat after signing a 10-day contract with Miami on 3/16 … had 1 block in 1 minute of action vs. Houston on 3/16 … signed by the Heat for the remainder of the season on 3/25 but didn’t see action in another game … placed on the injured list on 4/1 due to a knee injury … started the season in France, with Besancon, averaging 23.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20 games … then signed with the Rockford Lightning in the CBA on 2/7 … appeared in 16 games with Rockford averaging 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 38.7 minutes per contest … had 32 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals at Omaha on 2/28. COLLEGE Played four seasons at Cal State Fullerton … in his career appeared in 101 games, averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game … as a senior during the 1992-93 season averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36.6 minutes in 27 games … named to the All-Big West Conference First Team … ranks 12th on the Titans’ all-time list in career points (with 1,155) and is seventh all-time in rebounds (with 559) … played one season (1989-90) with Cedric Ceballos. PERSONAL Married Yardley Barbon in the summer of 2004 In the spring of 2004 launched GET FIT with Bruce and Buddy, a comprehensive program aimed toward fighting child obesity in San Antonio Teamed up with H-E-B and the Spurs Foundation to promote healthy living through fitness and nutrition Active with the Elf Louise program (a San Antonio program that provides Christmas gifts to children whose families are not financially able to provide them) and the San Antonio Alzheimer’s Association Runs the Bruce Bowen Foundation, an organization set-up to provide scholarships, tuitions and to help those less fortunate Holds an annual free basketball camp for youth in his hometown of Freson, which teaches life and basketball lessons Is working toward his college degree Took public relations classes at the University of Texas at San Antonio in the spring semesters in both 2003 and 2004 and enrolled in his third class in the fall of 2004 Hopes to be a high school teacher when he is finished with his playing career A big Dallas Cowboys fan Bruce Bowen Links Bruce Bowen website NBA Player Page
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