A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian and Olympic team member, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injuries to his legs and feet.

In spite of the setbacks, the 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and 235 lb (107 kg) center played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Projected as a solid first-rounder in the 1984 NBA draft, Bowie was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers as the second selection, ahead of Michael Jordan.

Bowie was a sophomore in college when his father died suddenly, aged 45, when a cyst on his lung burst.

As a junior, he led the Cedars to the state finals, where they lost by a point to Schenley High School of Pittsburgh.

"When I say this, I mean it with all my heart, from the Kentucky experience to all of my years in pro ball, when I reminisce I go back to my Lebanon Cedar days," said Bowie in 2018.

In February 1979, a Sports Illustrated magazine article feature focused on Bowie, Sampson and Steve Stipanovich as the best high school centers.

The memorable rosters included: Antoine Carr, Quintin Dailey, Sidney Green, Clark Kellogg, Greg Kite, Sidney Lowe, John Paxson, Ralph Sampson, Byron Scott, Steve Stipanovich, Isiah Thomas, Dereck Whittenburg, Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy.

In the Wildcats' first game of the tournament, against #7 seed Alabama-Birmingham, Bowie fouled out, playing 21 minutes, as Kentucky was eliminated by UAB 69–62.

Doctors at first thought the pain in the left leg was due to shin splints, but just before the season in 1981, new X-rays revealed Bowie had a stress fracture he had been playing on.

[1] As his class had graduated, Bowie applied for and was granted an NCAA medical redshirt to allow him another year of college eligibility.

During his senior season, his heroics in a game against rival Louisville earned him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Bowie, along with fellow "Twin Tower" Melvin Turpin (as the Kentucky frontcourt duo was called), and Kenny Walker led Kentucky to the SEC championship, the SEC Tournament Championship, a top-three national ranking, and a 26–4 season record.

[15] In the 1984 NCAA tournament, the Wildcats defeated Brigham Young 93–68, in-state rival Louisville 72–67 and Illinois 54–51 to advance to the Final Four in Seattle.

Kentucky led at the half, but Georgetown defeated the Wildcats 53–40, ending Bowie's college career.

Alongside Bowie were team members Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Michael Brooks, Bill Hanzlik, Alton Lister, Rodney McCray, Isiah Thomas, Darnell Valentine, Danny Vranes, Buck Williams and Al Wood.

[22] The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and 66 other countries to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In 1984, having beat the Blazers in a coin toss for first pick, the Rockets chose Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon.

Soon before the draft, the NBA fined the Blazers $250,000 (equivalent of $730,000 in 2018) for improper contact with Olajuwon and center Patrick Ewing.

A year earlier, Portland had drafted a shooting guard, Olajuwon's college teammate Clyde Drexler.

[27] Still, in 2005, highlighting Bowie's injury-laden college career, ESPN named the Blazers' choice the worst draft pick in the history of North American professional sports.

[29] During his rookie season, Bowie played in 76 games and averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team.

On October 17, 1987, during pregame warmups for a preseason game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bowie began feeling intense pain in his right leg just walking.

Not wanting a stretcher, Bowie was carried off the court by his teammates and was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his right tibia.

[14][32] On March 29, 1988, Bowie had surgery where he received a graft from his hip bone and had a metal plate with 10 screws permanently attached to his right shin.

"[1][2] On June 24, 1989, Bowie, who had averaged 10.5 points per game with the Trail Blazers, was traded, along with a draft pick, to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Buck Williams.

"My main objective is to play the game for the fun of it and the love of it," said Bowie, "Every time I go off the court, I'm thankful I didn't get hurt again.

[33] A 2013 Bleacher Report article listed Bowie as the 17th greatest Nets player up till that point.

[37] "You know, I go speak and visit at hospitals a lot—and not to sound mushy—but I've seen 7-, 8-, 9-year-old kids who have had their legs amputated because of bone cancer or a car accident," Bowie said.

Bowie is involved in harness racing, both owning and training horses that run at The Red Mile in Lexington.