On this day in 1997, former Boston Celtics small forward Bruce Bowen signed as a free agent with the team.
A native of Merced, California, the contract would be Bowen’s first real shot in the NBA (he had turned a pair of 10-day deals with the Miami Heat into a rest-of-season contract the season before but only played in a single game) after going undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in the 1993 NBA Draft.
After stints overseas and in the Continental Basketball Association (a predecessor to the G League), Bowen would latch on to the Heat and then Celtics, for whom he would play two seasons.
He would average 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while showing hints of becoming the fearsome defender he would later be known for.