ESPN analysts and Internet archives alike brought former Spurs super-defender Bruce Bowen into the conversation on Zaza Pachulia’s controversial closeout while defending Kawhi Leonard on Sunday.
Bowen apparently did not appreciate that, nor being labeled a “dirty” player based on his defensive tactics. So Bowen spoke at length to USA Today about Pachulia, who he said is also not dirty, and the whole situation.
“Everyone has experienced (closeouts). Anyone who’s shot a shot, who’s played defense,” Bowen told USA Today. “I’m not trying to minimize what transpired, but this is part of the game where it’s an unfortunate situation that happened but it doesn’t result in someone all of a sudden, now they’re dirty.