Sam Bowie resents the fact that he is being accused of lying to the Portland Trail Blazers about the extent of his knee injury. Earlier this week, word surfaced that Bowie admitted in a documentary — which will air later this month on ESPNU — that he told doctors he didn’t feel anything when they tested his knee. However, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft said it was indeed hurting, but that he had “loved ones” he needed to provide for.
While we have not seen the documentary, the direct quote from Bowie made it seem pretty clear that he was admitting to deceiving the organization for the good of his and his family’s future. On Wednesday, the former Kentucky star firmly denied that.
“Anybody that knows me, from the hierarchy in the Portland Trail Blazers during my playing days to my teammates to my friends and family, knows I would never deceive or trick or lie to anybody,” Bowie told The Oregonian. “I wasn’t raised that way. You can call me a lot of things, but don’t look at me as though I deceived or tricked (the organization).
“I thought I would play 15 years and win a couple championships with the Blazers.”
Bowie said the quote was just a small piece of the hour-long documentary and that it is “being blown out of proportion,” adding that he was sore all over and that doctors ultimately signed off on his health. Blazers fans have felt sympathy for Bowie throughout the years, and he said it would be a shame if he was now seen as a liar because of one series of comments.
“That would bother me more than the fact that (Michael Jordan’s) career took off and mine did not through injury,” Bowie said. “(Fans) have always been sympathetic and I’ve always appreciated that. If they thought any differently than they thought prior to this (film), I would be hurt. I think if you watch the documentary and see the interview, you’ll get a different perception than what you read in the newspaper.”
In all fairness to Bowie, the documentary could very well reveal that there’s more to the story than the one quote where he talks about concealing his knee pain. However, it’s going to be tough to argue that he didn’t admit to deceiving the Blazers in some way unless he was completely misquoted.
