Bruce Bowen retires from the NBA

Former San Antonio Spurs guard Bruce Bowen, a defensive wizard, retired Thursday, ending a 12-year NBA career.

Bowen, 38, played on three championship teams with San Antonio, but was used sparingly in his first five seasons with Boston, Philadelphia and Miami.

The 6-foot-7 inch, 200-pound Cal State-Fullerton product finished with per-game averages of 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 873 NBA contests.

I will no longer play basketball professionally, Bowen said Thursday at a news conference in San Antonio. I’m looking forward to continuously supporting the Spurs, but from more of a distance now. I’m no spring chicken, but more like a rooster now.

Bowen was part of a trade this off-season that sent him to Milwaukee in exchange for forward Richard Jefferson, but the Bucks released Bowen a short time later.

He plans to run the spa/salon he co-owns with his wife, Yardley.