NBA: San Antonio Spurs to retire Bruce Bowen's jersey

The San Antonio Spurs announced Tuesday [Manila time] that the team will retire the jersey of defensive stopper Bruce Bowen.

 

Bowen's no. 12 will be the seventh to be retired by San Antonio, joining the likes of George Gervin (no. 44), David Robinson (no. 55) and Avery Johnson (no. 6). 

 

“Bruce Bowen was the premier perimeter defender in the NBA for close to a decade,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the press release announcing the jersey retirement. “His success is proof that hard work and determination do, in fact, pay off. Statistics are meaningless when talking about his importance to this franchise. The simple fact is the Spurs don't win NBA Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007 without Bruce Bowen,” he added. 

 

Bowen spent nine years in San Antonio, averaging 6.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 31.2 minutes over 630 games, becoming just one of eight players to have appeared in 600-plus Spurs games. 

 

While his numbers may look mediocre, Bowen's on-court contributions were many, despite not being appearing on the stats sheet. Bowen's hustle and defense made him a perennial fixture on the NBA's All-Defensive Team, earning that honor in eight of his nine seasons with San Antonio. 

 

On offense, Bowen is second in Spurs history in terms of three-pointers made (661) and attempted (1,632), shooting a Spurs career 40.5 percent from long-range. 

 

Bowen retired from the NBA at the age of 37 in the summer of 2009, after being released by the Milwaukee Bucks after the Spurs traded him, along with Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, for Richard Jefferson.

 

The jersey retirement ceremony will take place on March 21 (March 22, PHL time), when the Spurs play the Minnesota Timberwolves. — Adrian Dy/RSJ, GMA News