Remembering Bruce Bowen

ESPN.com’s Mark Stein, who shares an alma mater with Bowen, elaborates on his earlier report for ESPN.com and takes a look back at Bowen’s career:

After going undrafted out of Fullerton in 1993, Bowen began his professional career in France as more of a scorer, before transforming himself into a defensive specialist to win over then-Miami Heat coach Pat Riley. He played sparingly for Miami, Boston and Philadelphia in his first four NBA seasons, before returning to the Heat in 2000-01 and breaking through to be voted by coaches to the league’s all-defensive second team.

Bowen then signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2001 and wound up making the all-defensive first team five straight times between 2003-04 and 2007-08. Developing a reliable 3-point shot from the corners along the way, complementing his ability to guard players of all sizes and offsetting his struggles at the free throw line, Bowen was a fixture in the starting lineup as San Antonio won championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

But there were fines and controversies in San Antonio as well, as Bowen -- for all of his good work in the city as an off-the-court ambassador -- was accused by high-profile foes such as Vince Carter, Ray Allen and Steve Nash for stepping into the landing space of jump shooters or using his hands and feet too aggressively.

Not only did he use his hands too aggressively, but feet, too? Now that is how you leave your mark on the NBA.