Sam Bowie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sam Bowie

Bowie playing during the 1985 NBA Playoffs
Personal information
Born	(1961-03-17) March 17, 1961 (age 64) Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.
High school	Lebanon (Lebanon, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (1979–1984)
NBA Draft	1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Pro career	1984–1995
Career history
1984–1989	Portland Trail Blazers
1989–1993	New Jersey Nets
1993–1995	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) Consensus second-team All-American (1981) Second-team All-American – AP (1984) No. 31 retired by Kentucky Wildcats McDonald's All-American (1979) First-team Parade All-American (1979)
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,564 (10.9 ppg)
Rebounds	3,845 (7.5 rpg)
Blocks	909 (1.8 bpg)

Samuel Paul Bowie (born March 17, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a very talented player in high school and college. He even made the Olympic team. However, repeated injuries to his legs and feet made his professional career difficult. Despite these problems, Bowie, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 235 pounds, played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In the 1984 NBA draft, Bowie was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was the second player picked overall, even before Michael Jordan.

Early Life and Family

Sam Bowie was born on March 17, 1961. His father, Ben Bowie, was 6 feet 10 inches tall and played basketball for the Harlem Magicians. When Sam was 12, his parents divorced. He lived with his maternal grandmother until he went to college.

Sam's father passed away suddenly when Sam was a sophomore in college. He was 45 years old.

High School Basketball Star

Bowie went to Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He played basketball there for Coach Chick Hess. Bowie was a star player and many colleges wanted him to play for them.

He scored over 28 points and grabbed 18 rebounds per game. He was named a McDonald's All-American and a Parade All-American. In his junior year, he led his team to the state finals. They lost by just one point. Bowie later said that his Lebanon Cedar days were his favorite basketball memories.

In 1979, Bowie was named the national player of the year. He was chosen over Ralph Sampson, another top high school center. Bowie and Sampson played in the "Battle of the Giants" all-star game. This game featured the best players from the Washington, D.C. area against top players from across the United States.

In February 1979, Sports Illustrated magazine wrote an article about Bowie, Sampson, and Steve Stipanovich. They were called the best high school centers. Bowie also played in the 1979 McDonald's All-American Game. Many future NBA stars were in that game, like Isiah Thomas and Dominique Wilkins.

College Career at Kentucky (1979–1984)

Bowie's #31 jersey was retired by the University of Kentucky. This banner in Rupp Arena honors him.

Bowie decided to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky. He played under Coach Joe B. Hall starting in 1979.

Freshman Season (1979–1980)

In his first year, Bowie averaged 6.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Kentucky finished with a great record of 29 wins and 6 losses. They made it to the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore Season (1980–1981)

Bowie's second year was even better. He averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He was named a third-team All-American. In 1981, he set a Kentucky record with nine blocked shots in one game.

However, during this season, Bowie started having leg injuries. In a game against Vanderbilt, he landed badly after a dunk. He felt pain in his left leg. Doctors later found a stress fracture in his left shin bone.

Dealing with Injuries (1981–1983)

Because of the stress fracture, Bowie missed the entire 1981–82 season. The injury did not heal well, so he also missed the 1982–83 season. He had surgery to fix his leg. Since he missed so much time, the NCAA gave him an extra year to play college basketball.

Senior Season (1983–1984)

Bowie returned to play in the 1983–84 season. Even after two years off, he played in all 34 games. He averaged 10.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. He was named to the Associated Press second-team All-American team.

He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. Bowie and his teammate Melvin Turpin were called the "Twin Towers." They led Kentucky to win the SEC championship. They also reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. In the semi-finals, Kentucky lost to Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing.

In his college career, Bowie played 96 games. He averaged 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

1980 Olympic Team Experience

In the summer of 1980, Sam Bowie was chosen to be on the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team. This team was coached by Dave Gavitt. It was the youngest American national team ever put together.

However, the United States and many other countries decided to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. This was because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. So, Bowie and his teammates could not compete in the Olympics.

Instead, Team USA played a series of games against NBA all-star teams. Bowie was one of the top players for Team USA in these games. Many years later, he received a Congressional Gold Medal. This special medal was made for the athletes who could not compete in the 1980 Olympics.

NBA Career Highlights

1984 NBA Draft Day

In the 1984 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets had the first pick. They chose Hakeem Olajuwon, a great center. The Portland Trail Blazers had the second pick. They needed a center and chose Sam Bowie. After Bowie, the Chicago Bulls picked Michael Jordan third.

At the time, picking Bowie made sense for the Blazers. They already had good shooting guards like Clyde Drexler. However, because of Bowie's past injuries, some later called this pick one of the worst in sports history.

Portland Trail Blazers (1984–1989)

In his first season, Bowie played in 76 games. He averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

But in his second season, his leg injuries came back. During a game, Bowie broke his left shin bone. He had to be carried off the court. He said he believed he could be one of the best centers if he stayed healthy.

The next season, Bowie tried to return. In the fifth game, he broke his right shin bone. He described the pain as feeling like his leg was chopped by an ax. He had surgery, but the injury needed more operations.

He missed the entire 1987–88 season and most of the 1988–89 season. In his last four seasons in Portland, Bowie played only 63 games out of a possible 328. Bowie later said he regretted coming back too quickly from his injuries. He felt like he let Portland down.

New Jersey Nets (1989–1993)

In 1989, Bowie was traded to the New Jersey Nets. His four seasons with the Nets were his most successful. He did not have any major injuries during this time.

Bowie averaged 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. His best season was his first with the Nets, where he averaged 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds. He played a career-high 79 games in 1992–93. Bowie said he was thankful every time he left the court without getting hurt again.

Los Angeles Lakers (1993–1995)

After the 1992–93 season, Bowie was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, his leg problems returned. He played in 92 games over two seasons.

After the 1994–95 season, Bowie decided to retire from professional basketball. He wanted to follow his passion for harness racing.

Career Summary

Sam Bowie, Bill Walton, and Greg Oden are often mentioned together. All three were centers drafted high by Portland who faced many injuries.

Bowie has a positive outlook on his challenges. He said that seeing kids with more serious health issues helps him realize how lucky he is. He believes that everything happens for a reason.

Over his NBA career, Bowie averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.78 blocks per game.

Life After Basketball

After retiring from basketball, Sam Bowie returned to Lexington, Kentucky. He became involved in harness racing. He owns and trains horses that race at The Red Mile in Lexington.

For a while, Bowie also worked as a commentator for University of Kentucky Basketball games.

Personal Life

Sam Bowie has three grown children. He has said he was lucky to be a full-time father. In April 2018, he married Stephanie Bowie.

Honors and Awards

• Bowie was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
• Bowie's number 31 jersey was retired by Kentucky Basketball in 2002.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

See also

In Spanish: Sam Bowie para niños