Rookie Bowman proving he’s rich in talent
Warriors guard Ky Bowman might not have a guaranteed NBA contract, but at least he doesn’t need to worry about San Francisco’s exorbitant rent.
Bowman, who signed a twoway deal with Golden State after going undrafted in June, lives in a teamprovided hotel room near Chase Center. All of his belongings not currently in storage in Boston sit in a few suitcases next to his bed. This is just fine with Bowman, who will split his rookie season between the Warriors and their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
Asked when he plans to start looking for an apartment, Bowman said, “Not until I have to. If I really would be lowincome housing out here, I’m totally OK just bypassing that process altogether.” Bowman was referencing a Reddit.com thread from last week pointing out that his base salary of $79,568 would qualify him for belowmarketrate housing in San Francisco.
The post was a bit misleading, given that it ignored the fact that Bowman receives a prorated portion of the NBA minimum salary of $898,310 for each of the 45 days he can spend with the big club. With injuries depleting the Warriors’ backcourt, Bowman is expected to max out his allotted time in the NBA, meaning he should earn roughly $111,000 this season.
That’s still not a lot in San Francisco. But Bowman isn’t about to complain.
The median household income in his hometown of Havelock, N.C., a military community of 20,000 near the Outer Banks, is $49,604. For Bowman to land a Division I basketball scholarship, his mother had to take days off from her jobs at Subway and Walmart to drive him 2½ hours one way to AAU practice.
“I’ve seen worse, stayed in worse,” Bowman said of his current living arrangement. “I’m just trying to go with what God gave me. It’s been a blessing to just have a place to lay your head. A lot of people don’t have a place to lay their head. Just being able to have that is good enough for me.”
If Bowman builds off his strong start, he could probably afford a lease in San Francisco next season — that is, should he decide he wants one. Bowman spent one morning practicing with the Santa Cruz Warriors last month before injuries thrust him into Golden State’s regular rotation.
With Stephen Curry (hand), D’Angelo Russell (ankle) and Jacob Evans (hip) sidelined recently, Bowman started three games, totaling a combined 43 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds against Charlotte, Portland and Houston. His ability to score in a variety of ways has made him an asset for a team low on proven offensive options. Though undersized at 6foot1, 187 pounds, Bowman is a willing defender making strides as a playmaker.
Placed ahead of guard Jordan Poole — the Warriors’ firstround pick — in numerous mock drafts, Bowman’s drop is a bit of a mystery, but one possibility is a combination of his size and lack of credentials as a facilitator. But Golden State’s front office was impressed by his resilience.
It signed him to a twoway contract largely because, in his draft combine interview, Bowman had Warriors employees tearyeyed as he spoke passionately about his desire to make his mom proud. To pursue a professional basketball career, he gave up an Alabama football offer after his older brother, Michael — a former South Carolina football commit whose legal troubles quashed his athletic career — encouraged Bowman to focus on the sport he loved.
Anyone who doubted Bowman’s toughness needed only to watch him hit a layup in last week’s win over the Trail Blazers, turn around and, after being bumped in the chest by Portland’s 7foot center Hassan Whiteside, exchange some words with Whiteside before being pulled away by teammates. Bowman later said of the altercation, “I know I’m a rookie, but I can’t just get pushed around.”
The Warriors have gotten creative to maximize Bowman’s time with the NBA club. After the team touched down in Houston last week, head coach Steve Kerr canceled practice to ensure that the day wouldn’t count against the 45day limit of Bowman and fellow twowaycontract player Damion Lee, who is now sidelined with a fracture in his right, shooting hand.
In coming weeks, Bowman will skip practices to lift weights, trying to delay the inevitable when he will be relegated the rest of the season to the G League. But just like he isn’t worried about apartment hunting, Bowman isn’t fretting his NBA future.
“I’m not really trying to think too much about anything right now, to be honest,” said Bowman, who is averaging 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.”