Bruce Bowen Will Not Return as Clippers’ TV Analyst, per Report

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bruce Bowen will not be returning for a second season alongside legendary Ralph Lawler as the Clippers’ TV analyst. The full article can be found here.

While Bowen was an employee of Fox Sports West, the Clippers have huge input into who gets hired at those broadcast positions, and they declined approval on Bowen’s second season.

The reason for the turnaround (Bowen was expected to return) was Bowen’s negative comments on Kawhi Leonard. He thought Kawhi mishandled the situation, and complained about his team giving him bad advice. His comments might be accurate, but for the Clippers, they were a no-go.

The Clippers are deeply invested in chasing Kawhi Leonard as a free agent next summer. Numerous reports have stated his interest in playing for the Clippers in Los Angeles, and the Clippers won’t let a TV analyst, especially one who just completed his first season, jeopardize their pursuit.

Bowen received mix reviews from Clippers’ fans in his first season. Some thought he was dry and lacked chemistry with Lawler, especially compared to Ralph’s synergy with longtime analyst Mike Smith. However, others thought he developed over the course of the season, and showed a nice sense of humor at times, as well as displaying much less homerism when talking about the Clippers.

The Clippers now have a vacancy to fill, and it’s an important one as they try to stay relevant in the LA market. There was some interest in bringing in Reggie Miller last summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they went after other National commentators in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.