When Ky Bowman was 8 years old, he picked up a basketball and quickly fell in love with the sport. Two years later, he began to dream of playing in the NBA.
Bowman played other sports but only one mattered.
“Football was just something I played, just because it was in season, but then basketball came, it was a whole different story,” he said Wednesday after a pre-draft workout with the Hawks.
He later played for Team Wall, a non-profit basketball program created by Wizards guard John Wall in North Carolina. He said Team Wall took a chance on him, and he ran with the chance to show his skill set.
Now, the guard from Boston College has an opportunity to see that dream come to fruition. Bowman has declared for the 2019 NBA draft as an early-entry candidate and is all in. He has signed with an agent and is participating in workouts with teams.
In Atlanta he said the workouts help build confidence in his game by playing with a different players. It helps open up opportunities to showcase what he can do as a guard, showing he can hit shots and play defense.
This year, he has a better understanding of what to expect heading into the draft. Bowman declared for the 2018 draft as a sophomore, along with teammate Jerome Robinson, but did not sign with an agent. He received feedback from teams he worked out for and later decided to return to Boston College for his junior season.
With Robinson gone as the No. 13 overall pick by the Clippers last year, Bowman stepped into the leadership role, a trait he sees as useful on an NBA team.
He finished his junior season averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals. He also led the NCAA in average minutes with 39.4. He earned ACC All-Freshman Honors in 2016-17, made the All-ACC Tournament Second Team in 2018 and All-ACC Second Team for 2018-19.
His feedback from last year’s draft preparation focused on increasing his defensive role. He worked on playing more aggressive.
After three years with the Eagles, and conversations with his family, he decided to forego his senior year and declare for the draft.
“So this year thinking that this year was going to be my year to be able to enter, and getting the feedback from last year made me a different player going back to college,” Bowman said. “So that was the big thing that helped me make my decision.”
He feels it’s the right time to prove himself to the NBA. He has a better understanding of how to care for his body and feels his energy levels on offense and defense are important attributes he can bring to a team.
Bowman believes he has a chance after showcasing his skills in Boston College’s win over Duke last year. He was one assist short of a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Bowman said he demonstrated his skill set against some of the top athletes in the draft, and is ready to do so in the NBA.
He hopes to hear his name called on June 20.
“I think it would mean a lot, not just to me but my family and the people back home, to the youth showing that there’s also another way out other than football and the military,” Bowman said. “Just giving the little kids a motivation to do other things.”
In their second session, the Hawks also worked out Houston guard Armoni Brooks (early entry), Louisville center Steven Enoch, Nevada forward Caleb Martin, Lipscomb guard Garrison Mathews and Ohio State center Caleb Wesson (early entry). The Hawks have another workout scheduled for Friday.
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