Nathan "Nate the Snake" Bowman (March 19, 1943 – December 11, 1984) was an American basketball player born in Fort Worth, Texas.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 19, 1943 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 11, 1984 (aged 41) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Kirkpatrick (Fort Worth, Texas) |
| College | Wichita State (1962–1965) |
| NBA draft | 1965: 1st round, 7th overall pick |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Playing career | 1965–1973 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 12, 17, 13 |
| Career history | |
| 1965–1966 | Johnston C.J.'s |
| 1966 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1966–1967 | Asbury Park Boardwalkers |
| 1967–1970 | New York Knicks |
| 1970–1971 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1971–1972 | Pittsburgh Condors |
| 1972–1973 | Wilkes-Barre Barons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 745 (2.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 878 (3.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 175 (0.7 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
A 6'10" center from Wichita State University, Bowman played five seasons (1966–1971) in the National Basketball Association and one season (1971–1972) in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Buffalo Braves, and Pittsburgh Condors. He won an NBA Championship as a reserve for the Knicks in 1970. In his NBA/ABA career, Bowman tallied 745 total points and 878 total rebounds. He was a good rebounder, but a poor shooter who had a problem with committing personal fouls, thus earning the nickname "Nate the Snake." In his NBA/ABA career, he committed more personal fouls than he scored field goals.
Bowman was one of several players involved in a November 20, 1968, brawl between the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks at Atlanta's Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The fight eventually spilled into the stands, where fans grabbed Bowman so that Atlanta's Bill Bridges could land a punch.[1] None of the participants were fined more than $25.[2]
Bowman was a swinger and attended swing parties at actor Ted Ross's house.[3]
Bowman died of cardiac arrest on December 11, 1984, in New York City. He had finished an audition for a Miller Brewing Company television commercial when he began to complain about chest pains. Bowman arrived at Roosevelt-St. Luke's Hospital with no vital signs and died in the emergency room.[4]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won an NBA championship |
NBA/ABA
editSource[5]
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Chicago | 9 | 7.2 | .381 | .750 | 3.1 | .2 | 2.4 | ||
| 1967–68 | New York | 42 | 0 | 6.5 | .388 | .667 | 2.7 | .5 | 2.7 | |
| 1968–69 | New York | 67 | 1 | 9.1 | .363 | .475 | 3.3 | .8 | 2.9 | |
| 1969–70† | New York | 81 | 1 | 9.2 | .417 | .519 | 3.2 | .6 | 2.9 | |
| 1970–71 | Buffalo | 44 | 11.0 | .392 | .526 | 3.9 | .9 | 3.1 | ||
| 1971–72 | Pittsburgh (ABA) | 18 | 12.1 | .358 | .000 | .556 | 4.8 | .7 | 2.4 | |
| Career (NBA) | 243 | 2 | 8.9 | .390 | .527 | 3.3 | .7 | 2.9 | ||
| Career (overall) | 261 | 2 | 9.1 | .388 | .000 | .529 | 3.4 | .7 | 2.9 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | New York | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | .000 | – | 3.0 | .0 | .0 |
| 1969 | New York | 10 | 0 | 6.2 | .267 | 1.000 | 3.2 | .3 | 1.1 |
| 1970† | New York (ABA) | 18 | 1 | 7.1 | .383 | .700 | 2.4 | .3 | 2.4 |
| Career | 29 | 1 | 6.8 | .333 | .769 | 2.7 | .3 | 1.9 | |
Notes
edit- ^ Koppett, Leonard. "Hawks set back Knicks 111-106". The New York Times. 21 November 1968.
- ^ Mike Hudson. "Brawl Games". The Roanoke Times. 12 December 2004.
- ^ West, Ashley (August 9, 2020). "Joseph Stryker: Live Sex… in Show World, Avon Theaters, Melody Burlesk, and Adult Films". The Rialto Report.
- ^ "Nate Bowman Is Dead;Former Knicks Center". The New York Times. December 12, 1984. p. 29. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Nate Bowman NBA/ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
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