Jonathan Bender
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Rene Bender is an American
professional basketball
player who most recently played for the New York Knicks
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
in the 1999 NBA Draft
out of Picayune Memorial High School
in Picayune, Mississippi
despite a verbal commitment to Mississippi State University
. He was then traded to the Indiana Pacers
for veteran forward Antonio Davis
. Being hyped for his size, athleticism and all around skill, Bender scored 10 points in 13 minutes against Cleveland on December 10, 1999. He became the first high school draftee to score in double figures in his NBA debut.
Highlights of Bender's career have included an outstanding performance in the Pacers' 2004 playoff series with the Celtics, where he led the Pacers in scoring in game 3, and set personal playoff career bests in rebounds and minutes in game 2. In 2001, Bender participated in the Slam Dunk competition during All-Star weekend, where he executed a Julius Erving-style tomahawk jam from the free throw line, left-handed.
Playing in 78 games in the 2001-02 season, he signed a four-year, $28.5 million contract extension. However, the next few years were plagued by injuries. He played in only 46 games the following season, then 21 games in the season after that. A persistent sore right knee limited him to just seven games in 2004-05 and two games in 2005-06. He was waived by the Pacers on June 14, 2006. At that point, he had averaged 5.6 points in 237 career regular season games. In 2005, Bender was rated by Sports Illustrated as #11 on the list of the 20 biggest busts in modern NBA draft history.
On December 13, 2009, the New York Knicks signed Jonathan Bender to a minimum contract. "Jonathan has worked extremely hard in preparing himself for a return to the NBA," said Donnie Walsh
, Knicks President of Basketball Operations.
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Indiana
| 24 || 1 || 5.4 || .329 || .167 || .667 || .9 || .1 || .0 || .2 || 2.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Indiana
| 59 || 7 || 9.7 || .355 || .268 || .735 || 1.3 || .5 || .1 || .5 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 17 || 21.1 || .430 || .360 || .733 || 3.1 || .8 || .2 || .6 || 7.4
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Indiana
| 46 || 2 || 17.8 || .441 || .358 || .714 || 2.9 || .9 || .2 || 1.2 || 6.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Indiana
| 21 || 0 || 12.9 || .472 || .409 || .830 || 1.9 || .4 || .2 || .5 || 7.0
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Indiana
| 7 || 0 || 13.3 || .400 || .200 || .500 || 2.0 || .6 || .1 || .3 || 5.1
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Indiana
| 2 || 0 || 10.5 || .800 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .5 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | New York
| 25 || 1 || 11.7 || .400 || .359 || .923 || 2.1 || .6 || .1 || .7 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 262 || 28 || 14.7 || .417 || .340 || .763 || 2.2 || .6 || .2 || .6 || 5.5
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Indiana
| 9 || 0 || 2.3 || .667 || 1.000 || .500 || .3 || .0 || .1 || .0 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Indiana
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 0 || 9.2 || .500 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .4 || .4 || .6 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Indiana
| 3 || 0 || 11.3 || .333 || .333 || .667 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || .7 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 0 || 12.6 || .406 || .360 || .750 || 1.8 || .4 || .1 || .9 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 43 || 0 || 7.6 || .454 || .361 || .679 || 1.0 || .2 || .1 || .4 || 2.6
He is a cousin of Morris Peterson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who most recently played for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA).
Career
Bender was selected with the fifth pick by the Toronto RaptorsToronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in the 1999 NBA Draft
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
out of Picayune Memorial High School
Picayune Memorial High School
Picayune Memorial High School is a grade 9–12 high school located in Picayune, Mississippi, United States.-Notable Past Coaches:Jimmy Johnson, of University of Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins coaching fame, and two time super bowl winning coach, was an assistant football coach in 1966.Butch...
in Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune, Mississippi
Picayune is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 10,878 at the 2010 census. Located approximately from New Orleans, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport/Biloxi...
despite a verbal commitment to Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. He was then traded to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for veteran forward Antonio Davis
Antonio Davis
Antonio Lee Davis is a retired American National Basketball Association player. Davis is also the former president of the NBA Players Association .-College career:...
. Being hyped for his size, athleticism and all around skill, Bender scored 10 points in 13 minutes against Cleveland on December 10, 1999. He became the first high school draftee to score in double figures in his NBA debut.
Highlights of Bender's career have included an outstanding performance in the Pacers' 2004 playoff series with the Celtics, where he led the Pacers in scoring in game 3, and set personal playoff career bests in rebounds and minutes in game 2. In 2001, Bender participated in the Slam Dunk competition during All-Star weekend, where he executed a Julius Erving-style tomahawk jam from the free throw line, left-handed.
Playing in 78 games in the 2001-02 season, he signed a four-year, $28.5 million contract extension. However, the next few years were plagued by injuries. He played in only 46 games the following season, then 21 games in the season after that. A persistent sore right knee limited him to just seven games in 2004-05 and two games in 2005-06. He was waived by the Pacers on June 14, 2006. At that point, he had averaged 5.6 points in 237 career regular season games. In 2005, Bender was rated by Sports Illustrated as #11 on the list of the 20 biggest busts in modern NBA draft history.
On December 13, 2009, the New York Knicks signed Jonathan Bender to a minimum contract. "Jonathan has worked extremely hard in preparing himself for a return to the NBA," said Donnie Walsh
Donnie Walsh
Joseph Donald Walsh Jr., better known as Donnie Walsh is a former professional basketball coach, and former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks.-Biography:...
, Knicks President of Basketball Operations.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Indiana
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 24 || 1 || 5.4 || .329 || .167 || .667 || .9 || .1 || .0 || .2 || 2.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Indiana
| 59 || 7 || 9.7 || .355 || .268 || .735 || 1.3 || .5 || .1 || .5 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Indiana
| 78 || 17 || 21.1 || .430 || .360 || .733 || 3.1 || .8 || .2 || .6 || 7.4
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Indiana
| 46 || 2 || 17.8 || .441 || .358 || .714 || 2.9 || .9 || .2 || 1.2 || 6.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Indiana
| 21 || 0 || 12.9 || .472 || .409 || .830 || 1.9 || .4 || .2 || .5 || 7.0
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Indiana
| 7 || 0 || 13.3 || .400 || .200 || .500 || 2.0 || .6 || .1 || .3 || 5.1
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Indiana
| 2 || 0 || 10.5 || .800 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .5 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 25 || 1 || 11.7 || .400 || .359 || .923 || 2.1 || .6 || .1 || .7 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 262 || 28 || 14.7 || .417 || .340 || .763 || 2.2 || .6 || .2 || .6 || 5.5
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1999–00
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
| align="left" | Indiana
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 9 || 0 || 2.3 || .667 || 1.000 || .500 || .3 || .0 || .1 || .0 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 0 || 9.2 || .500 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .4 || .4 || .6 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| align="left" | Indiana
| 3 || 0 || 11.3 || .333 || .333 || .667 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || .7 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
| align="left" | Indiana
| 16 || 0 || 12.6 || .406 || .360 || .750 || 1.8 || .4 || .1 || .9 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 43 || 0 || 7.6 || .454 || .361 || .679 || 1.0 || .2 || .1 || .4 || 2.6
Off the court
Two years after Hurricane Katrina, he founded the nonprofit Jonathan Bender Foundation in New Orleans.He is a cousin of Morris Peterson
Morris Peterson
Morris Peterson, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.- College career :...
.
External links
- NBA page
- Jonathan Bender – Jonathan Bender Announces End Of Career
- NBA Draft Busts - #11