The Spurs Partnership & A Winning Mindset with Bruce Bowen

On this episode of The Ledger Podcast, Ledger CMO Ariel Wengroff speaks with San Antonio Spurs legend Bruce Bowen about the powerful convergence of championship defense, leadership, and the essential security principles underpinning the Ledger/Spurs partnership.

 The discussion centered on life philosophies necessary not only to survive but to thrive with real principles in the demanding worlds of professional sports and digital assets. Bowen shared insights on the work ethic required to maintain success, the critical nature of preparation, and the importance of self-reliance.

Key Highlights:

The Work Never Stops: Resilience and Non-Complacency

Bowen detailed his journey, which included being cut after a Golden State summer camp and using France as a crucible to become a better version of himself before joining the NBA. The greatest challenge upon reaching the top, he noted, is “not becoming complacent”. People often have the misconception that reaching number one makes things easier, but success demands even more work. Bowen stressed that failure is essential for building resilience, asking a question everyone should pose when denied a goal: “do I really want this”.

Defense Wins Championships: Security as a Core Ethos

The host and Bowen drew direct parallels between winning basketball and securing digital assets. Just as defense wins championships, Ledger’s focus is on long-term protection, not just short-term victories. Bowen highlighted that just as a basketball team needs the right defense to protect its goals, crypto users need hardware security against increasingly sophisticated threats. Ledger embodies this message.

“We don’t look at price , we’re here for the long term. It doesn’t matter to us (and) you could have $5 or you could have $100,000; you still need the same level of security, you still deserve the same level of security.” – Ariel Wengroff

The Power of Preparation and Starring in Your Role

Bowen detailed his intense preparation routine, including getting up 500 shots daily during the off-season. This discipline ensures he is ready to perform and minimizes nervousness. This rigorous preparation underpins his ability to star in your role—the concept that everyone has a job, and when each person executes their task correctly, the team creates a strong link. 

“I really do believe that one thing I enjoy today is that they’re talking about cyber security and how someone lost a billion dollars all because they didn’t have the right defense. When you have something quite like Ledger and there are these opportunities for others who want what you have, they’re constantly coming at you in new and creative ways. It keeps you on your toes to adjust to what’s going on”. – Bruce Bowen

His journey required him to adjust his role from being a scorer in France to becoming a defender in the NBA.

Leadership: Connection, Trust, and Delegation

Effective leadership relies on connection and trust. 

Bowen emphasized that when a leader connects with a team member in a genuine way, that individual will perform optimally because they know they are supported. He reflected on the Spurs’ unique recruiting culture, noting he felt like a rock star upon arrival, which showed genuine belief in him.

Conversely, poor leadership involves delegating everything or taking too much control, leading to teammates becoming disgruntled due to a lack of trust. Bowen drew on lessons from his four Hall of Fame coaches (Pat Riley, Larry Brown, Rick Pitino, and Greg Popovich), emphasizing that coaching is about routine, teaching, and showing unconditional love. 

Coach Gregg Popovich instilled the wisdom to “worry about what’s going on here” inside the building, rather than external noise.

Watch the full episode below:

Education: Don’t Trust, Verify

The Spurs/Ledger partnership is focused on financial literacy, especially digital asset financial literacy. 

Bowen gave direct advice to Ledger fans: 

“Education, education, education. Learn about Ledger – don’t go off what someone tells you that’s just saying ‘Oh it’s this.’ find out do your own homework on something and if they offer more information delve into it even more”. 

The necessity for self-education is paramount, especially for young athletes who are often the product and need to be taught how to manage their financial futures. Learn more about crypto and how Ledger’s entire ecosystem helps protect you on your lifelong crypto journey with Ledger Academy – your one-stop library for all things web3!

Reading List

Learn more about these topics mentioned in the episode, or explore our library of articles on Crypto, Security, and Regulation on Ledger Academy

• Self-Custody
• Spurs x Ledger
• Ledger Nano Gen5
• Bitcoin