"In the more than two years since Bruce Bowen retired from the NBA, he's learned something interesting about life.

Knowing how to play defense still comes in handy.

Bowen, who often left the likes of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen feeling like birthday piñatas during a blue-collar career on the court, has in the months since dealt with divorce, the failure of a headline business and hard lessons about some friends and family reluctant to follow him out of the professional spotlight.

"I had a lot of relationships that have been severed because I'm no longer a basketball player," said Bowen, 40. "I think one of the most disappointing things for athletes is to be around people and it all changes because the parties are no longer put on by you or the things that you used to do are no longer something that's of interest because you're not footing the bill.

"No one wants to be taken advantage of. But you see that it's part of life. Some people's elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.""