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) First-team All-SEC (1981) Second-team All-SEC (1980) 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, Sam Bowie's career was often affected by injuries to his legs and feet. Even with these challenges, this 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) center played for ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In the 1984 NBA draft, Bowie was chosen as the second player overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. This was a big deal because he was picked before Michael Jordan, who became one of the greatest basketball players ever.

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. Sam's parents divorced when he was 12. After that, he lived with both parents in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. To avoid showing favoritism, he later lived with his grandmother until he went to college.

When Sam was a sophomore in college, his father passed away suddenly at age 45. Sam later shared that he regretted not telling his father he loved him before he was gone.

High School Basketball Star

Sam Bowie went to Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He played basketball there under Coach Chick Hess. Coach Hess said Sam was a responsible person, even though his legs didn't always serve him well.

Sam was a star player and many colleges wanted him. He averaged over 28 points and 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, where they lost by just one point. Sam said that his high school days were very special to him.

In 1979, Sam Bowie was named the national player of the year. He received this honor over Ralph Sampson, another highly recruited center. Sam and Ralph played in an all-star game called the "Battle of the Giants." 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 highlighted as the best high school centers in the country.

Sam also played in the 1979 McDonald's All-American Game. This game included many future NBA stars like Antoine Carr, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, and James Worthy.

College Career at Kentucky (1979–1984)

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

Sam Bowie decided to play for the University of Kentucky under Coach Joe B. Hall in 1979.

Freshman Season (1979–1980)

As a freshman, Sam averaged 6.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Kentucky finished the season with a 29–6 record and made it to the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore Season (1980–1981)

In his second year, Sam's performance improved greatly. He averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He was named an All-American by the Associated Press. He also set a Kentucky record for most blocked shots in a game with nine.

However, during this season, Sam started having leg injuries. In one game, he landed awkwardly after a dunk and felt pain in his left leg. This injury would cause problems for the rest of his career.

Dealing with Injuries (1981–1983)

After his sophomore season, doctors found a stress fracture in Sam's left shin bone (tibia). This injury caused him to miss the entire 1981–82 season. The fracture didn't heal well, so he also missed the 1982–83 season. Doctors first thought it was just shin splints, but X-rays showed a stress fracture. He had to wear a cast for a long time.

Because of the injury, Sam needed surgery and a bone graft. Since his original class had already graduated, the NCAA allowed him an extra year of college eligibility. This is called a medical redshirt.

Senior Season and Return (1983–1984)

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

During this season, his great play against rival Louisville earned him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Sam, along with Melvin Turpin and Kenny Walker, led Kentucky to win the SEC championship. They also reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament.

In the Final Four, Kentucky played against Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing. Georgetown won the game, ending Sam's college career. In his 96 college games, Sam averaged 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.

Playing for Team USA (1980 Olympics)

In the summer of 1980, Sam Bowie was chosen to play for the United States Olympic men's basketball team. This team was coached by Dave Gavitt. It was the youngest American national team ever.

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. Because they couldn't compete in the Olympics, Team USA played a series of games against NBA all-star teams across the U.S. They won five out of six games. Sam Bowie, who was 19 at the time, was the team's second-leading scorer and best rebounder and shot-blocker in these games.

Many years later, Sam received a Congressional Gold Medal. These medals were specially made for the athletes who couldn't compete in the 1980 Olympics.

NBA Career Highlights

The 1984 NBA Draft

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

At the time, picking Bowie made sense for the Blazers. They already had good shooting guards like Clyde Drexler and Jim Paxson. They really wanted a strong player in the middle, like Bill Walton who had played for them before. However, looking back, many people consider the Blazers' choice of Bowie over Jordan to be one of the biggest mistakes in NBA draft history because of Bowie's injuries.

Portland Trail Blazers (1984–1989)

In his first season (rookie year), Sam Bowie played well. He averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

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

The next season, Sam returned. But in only his fifth game, his legs buckled, and he fell. He broke his right shin bone. Sam described the feeling like his leg was chopped by an ax. His teammate, Clyde Drexler, remembered seeing part of the bone sticking out. Sam needed surgery, and later another operation, to fix his leg.

Again, Sam tried to come back. In October 1987, during warmups for a game, he felt intense pain in his right leg just from walking. He was diagnosed with another hairline fracture. In March 1988, he had surgery where doctors put a metal plate with 10 screws in his shin. These injuries kept him out for almost two full seasons. In his last four seasons in Portland, Sam played only 63 games out of a possible 328.

Sam later said he regretted not being more patient and coming back too quickly after his second leg fracture. He felt like he had disappointed the team.

New Jersey Nets (1989–1993)

In June 1989, Sam Bowie was traded to the New Jersey Nets. He played four seasons there, and these were his most successful. He didn't have any major injuries during this time.

Sam averaged 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game with the Nets. He never missed more than 20 games in a season. His best year was his first with the Nets, where he averaged 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He also played a career-high 79 games in the 1992–93 season.

Sam said that his main goal was to play for the fun and love of the game. He was thankful every time he left the court without getting hurt again.

Los Angeles Lakers (1993–1995)

After the 1992–93 season, Sam was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, his leg problems started again. He played in only 92 games over two seasons with the Lakers.

Even though the Lakers' general manager, Jerry West, wanted him to keep playing, Sam decided to retire from professional basketball after the 1994–95 season. He wanted to follow his passion for harness racing.

Career Overview

Sam Bowie, Bill Walton, and Greg Oden are often mentioned together. All three were centers drafted high by the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, all three had their careers affected by serious injuries.

Sam Bowie has said that when he visits hospitals and sees children who have lost their legs, it helps him see things differently. He feels lucky and believes that everything happens for a reason.

Over his NBA career, Sam 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, which is a type of horse racing. He owns and trains horses that race at The Red Mile in Lexington.

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

Personal Life

Sam Bowie has been married twice and has three grown children. He said he was lucky to be a full-time father. He married Stephanie Bowie in April 2018.

In 2012, Sam was featured in an ESPN documentary called Going Big. In the film, he admitted that he had sometimes hidden how much pain he was in from the Blazers' doctors. He had leg problems even in high school.

Honors and Recognition

• In 2005, Sam Bowie was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.
• In 2002, the University of Kentucky Basketball team retired his jersey number, 31. This means no other player for Kentucky will wear that number.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

See also

In Spanish: Sam Bowie para niños