When Bruce Bowen officially announces his retirement in a San Antonio beauty salon Thursday, the nation will not be overcome with nostalgia. Spurs fans will send Bowen away with a hearty thanks and fond memories. But for any NBA player who has played against him and any fan who has watched Bowen hassle their own's teams star, this is a day of celebration.The Rash is gone.
Like all defensive nuisances, Bowen has garnered a lot of respect around the league. While he never managed to win a Defensive Player of the Year award (Ben Wallace won four during Bowen's peak), the Rash did get voted to the NBA's All Defense team eight straight seasons, including five seasons on the first team. The Spurs themselves, from Gregg Popovich to Tim Duncan, have always championed Bowen's dedication and defensive skill. Even some opponents have begrudgingly acknowledged the passionate defense the Rash displayed over his career.
But you get a nickname like "The Rash" for a reason, and to be quite honest Bowen earned it. It's hard to argue that Bowen's grab-push-pull style didn't help force the NBA to adopt its more stringent hand-check rules earlier this decade, preventing defenders from, well, checking offensive players with their hands. Bowen's rep for hand-checking his adversaries was so great that Lakers coach Phil Jackson publicly dubbed the Spur "Edward Scissorhands."
But Bowen did his biggest damage with his feet. Ask Wally Szczerbiak.
Isiah Thomas called Bowen dirty for undercutting Jamal Crawford, later telling his Knicks players to break Bowen's neck or foot. (What Zeke actually said is disputed.) The undercutting accusation has been made by several other high-level players over the years. Amar'e Stoudemire said Bowen attempted to injure him during a playoff game by kicking the back of his Achille's tendon. In that same series, Bowen was given a flagrant foul for kneeing Steve Nash in the crotch. Bowen's shots on Ray Allen (including a well-documented post-whistle kick to the back) led Allen to dissolve the pair's friendship. Vince Carter claims Bowen intentionally injured him with an undercut in 2004, ending Carter's season, and attempted to do the same thing in 2005.
The oeuvre is massive. The nickname was earned. And while Bowen is said to be a great guy -- generous, kind and sharp -- in his personal life, he was no picnic on the basketball court. "Good riddance" isn't quite the right sentiment, but he should know that most of the NBA will not miss him.
For Bowen, that's probably a compliment.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
NBA players are such babies now.
Did you ever play "Karate Champ"? I can't look at that clip without thinking of that.
I love to see retards like 'surheeho' calling people babies because they don't want to spend an entire season with their leg in a cast, or have their careers ruined, because some other retard thinks it's okay to take your legs out from under you when you're running down the court. 'Surheeho' would, like most frauds who have never played the game, be the first one to cry if someone bumped him. The rules are there to protect the players, and protect the game from people like Bill Laimbeer and Bowen, who think they can raise their impact by sending a talented, hard working opponent to the hospital and get away with it. Grow up: without rules, there is chaos, and no one is above the rules. When Kevin McHale grabbed the Laker's Kurt Rambis who was running full speed -- a guy who made a career on nothing more than hard work -- by the throat and threw him to the deck, McHale should have been suspended for the rest of the series. Ditto for members of the Pistons when they constantly tried to trip and injure Michael Jordan. I don't want to see a roster full of Development League players on the court because some knucklehead wants to ruin the career of Michael Jordan or Chris Paul. You call them cry babies: I call them cheap shot artists who have no class and no respect. Newsflash: no one ever bought a ticket to see Bowen play. Bowen was a great player: a great shooter, a great defender. Trying to hurt people was beneath him, and an insult to the game. Grow up and try to develop a little class, you'll feel better in the morning.
there are people in the world who can't seem to distinguish between playing hard or tough and playing to damage...Bowen had enough incidents that put him in the latter category...playing to damage is actually cowardly and says you're afraid you can't stop the other player UNLESS they're injured...which doesn't say much either about your own talent or the belief you have in your team to score more points than the other...if you have to injure another player in order to prove you're macho, manly or have you're team win...then you're neither macho or manly just lame...unless of course you're in MMA then injury is part of the sport. But deliberately injuring a player so your team can win does not belong in hockey, baseball, basketball or football and points more to you and your ineptitude than your toughness... IT'S PATHETICALLY EASY TO INJURE A BASKETBALL PLAYER WHO IS OFF THEIR FEET, FOCUSED ON PUTTING THE BALL THROUGH THE HOOP OR GETTING THE REBOUND AND IT TAKES ZERO GUTS TO DO SO...it's actually much tougher to stop a player from scoring and do it by skill...or strategy...anyone who advocates injury directed activity in order to show toughness is simply a coward who can't win any other way...bye bye Bowen...won't miss you at all...
Happy retirement Bruce! I hope a tractor trailer "undercuts" your azz.... Goodbye and good reddens' the game is BETTER without you.
Yeah, I'm not so much a Bowen fan, either, but he always played hard and played to win. If I were fortunate to own an NBA franchise, I'd want him on my team.
Hey 5thstreetFreddie,
Well put!!!
The Celtics were well known for this style of dirty play, and of course were the biggest whiners on top of it all. I still have on tape McHale on his knees whining to the ref at the end of game 6 in (I think) '85 and Auerbach chasing the ref into the locker room after another playoff game (Auerbach wasn't coach then). Add to that things like doing construction and turning up the heat in the Garden while opposing teams were practicing, and you got one hell of a pathetic organization.
I hear what Bowen's detractors have to say and I understand. However, I also think a lot of the players who complained about him are babies and only did it to draw more scrutiny on Bowen by game officials and the league office.
I still believe that Bowen never intentionally hurt anyone. He was a very aggressive defender and a little careless about his opponent's safety at times, but he was not intentionally dirty.
Need proof? He defended the best players in the league, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, neither of whom has ever had one negative word to say about Bowen and both give him his proper due and respect.
Bruce Bowen is testament to maximizing whatever limited skill and talent one possesses to it's full potential. Good luck, Bruce. I'll miss you.
bowen was that dude who gave 110% off the bench played tough defense....so what if he was dirty so was dennis rodmen, bill lambier and a bunch of other players......
That makes Bowen WRONG, just like those other athletes, maybe no more, but maybe no less. Wrong is still wrong, whether "everybody does it" or not. But I wish Brucie well in retirement.
Good by Bruce you will be missed by all Spurs fans. You were and are a GREAT PLAYER there are those who would like to walk in your shoes, but there will never be another Bruce Bowen. THANK YOU
Bruce is beloved by Spurs fans because he is the total package: a great athlete, a great citizen, a great guy. NBA players are obligated to make a dozen community appearances a year. Bruce averaged 50. He learned to speak Spanish in this bilingual city and earned his college degree - during the playoffs. He brought himself up from a miserable childhood without raping, killing, drugging or bringing disgrace to himself and his sport. Viva Bruce!
Why is it when people have a hard time dealing with someone, they try and blame them for their shortcomings? Maybe Vince was just pissed because he (Carter) was playing reckless and got hurt. Sure Bruce was a nuisance, but he gave every last drop of effort to help his team. I'd gladly have a million Bruce's in my world. Try to help the team, good on you! Thanks Bruce for all the hard work. Thanks for the big shots. Thanks for never changing, even when those whiner's of the league were trash-talking you. I know at least one team that are currently the most dominant team of the 2000's that appreciate your efforts. You will be missed. Hope to see you coaching one day. One hell of a leader!!
Bruce Bowen is one of those platers you hate unless he's on your team then you love him there have been others,Lambier,Ainge,Mahorn,all tough players we loved to hate now Bruce will be added to that list.
To jay (post 9) and Steve (post 14):
If you don't know how to spell a person's name correctly, do you know that you can Google them? Or maybe ASK SOMEONE?
They are Dennis RODMAN and Bill LAIMBEER.
There is no shame in admitting you don't know or aren't sure of something. Asking someone does not show that you're stupid, but that you are seeking information. Thank you for your time, gentlemen.
CAN YOU ALL SPELL......JEALOUS!
Bruce Bowen earned all 3 NBA Championships in his 30's. Now that's really impressive. He can ride into that Texas sunset with his head held high and his "Spurs" ringing loudly.
Good luck Bruce! I loved the way you played, but I love your off court behavior even more. You are truly the MAN.
Say folks, if you want to meet the quiescental man who happens to be an atehlete, google Bruce Bowen.
Well, being a Spurs fan, I must say it is tough to see Bowen go. Bruce Bowen, thank you very much for all the memories. Who will ever forget the time you karate kicked old Wally? Or the time you kneed knash in the balls? Good old memories. Just wish you had snapped Kobe's spine. Thank you and enjoy your retirement. I hope San Antonio retires your number. So for one last time... GO BOWEN!!! and forever more... GO SPURS!!!!!!!
American refs aren`t as used to catching soccer style dirty tricks as international refs. Dad used to get very upset watching Don Slick Watts. He used his knees to take out the legs of opponents. A conventional dirty tactic in soccer. Dad would have probably figured a soccer ref would have soon carded Bowen out of a game. The great don`t make excuses, part of what makes them great. Lots of players get away with dirty play. I`m not saying Bowen was worse than others. He may have been. But it is wrong when your favorite does it, just as it is wrong when the guy you love to hate most does it. Byrant plays dirty at times, swings his elbows while holding the ball, which he learned at least in part from Karl Malone, uses other dirty tricks. Just because he is a very productive scorer doesn`t make it right for him either. I was glad Bowen played hard, hit threes sometimes, defended tenaciously. I`m sorry that part of his game was marred by also playing dirty. And that his charitable acts were also marred by needless dirt. Guys have to play hard defensively, whether they get the ball or not, Bowen did that, and his positive contributions will be missed.