And the winner for best player in a supporting role is … Bruce Bowen.

Bruce Bowen and Chris Paul are exactly the type of players the United States needs to regain its position on top of the basketball world.

There are still superstars: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James headline the team. But Colangelo also left room for players like Bowen, whose willingness to focus on defense is one of the keys to the success of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

“When you mention role players, certain names pop out almost immediately and I think right at the top of that list is Bruce Bowen,” Colangelo said. “He’s tough, he’s a competitor, he’s absolutely a blender, so when you look up the description of role player in the dictionary you might see a picture of Bruce Bowen.”