Knicks sign Jonathan Bender wait what the hell really oh christ wow thats amazing lol

I like to think that I keep my ear pretty close to the ground. If you're going to know about such perfectly useless things as Kevin Burleson signing in Romania, then you kind of have to. Yet I had absolutely no idea that the Knicks were considering signing Jonathan Bender, nor that they were even able to. Quite literally shocked to see that headline today.

Bender retired in February 2006 after being assumed to have been retired for a long while prior. He had begun to break out in the 2001-02 season when he averaged 7.4 points in 78 games for the Pacers, but not only was that the best he'd ever play, it was almost the most he'd ever play. Bender's games played total plummeted from there on out; from 78 in 2001/02, to 46 in 2002/03, to 21 in 2003/04, to 7 in 2004/05, to only 2 in 2005/06. He suffered from a degenerative knee condition that caused chronic pain due to the destruction of the knee's cartilage, and there was no way back from that, forcing his retirement. There still isn't, really, which is why I wrote this when we last covered Bender back in January:

Jonathan Bender is still retired, and probably always will be.

Apparently that was not true, though. Bender is now back, joining up with the general manager that traded for him and gave him the $28 million with which he built his business empire. The league once again has a 7 foot shooting guard, and not the Primoz Brezec type of 7 foot shooting guard.

In his time away from the game, Bender has become a successful entrepreneur. He owns a charitable organisation - the Jonathan Bender foundation - as well as Jonathan Bender Enterprises, a real estate development and property management company. Both of those organisations are based in New Orleans, helping to restore the city's infrastructure. Bender also owns an Italian wine company, a record label, an island in the Carribean, multiple real estate holdings (including Kingdom Homes, a company that buys and restores flood-damaged properties in disadvantaged New Orleans neighborhoods), and is trying to patent a fitness device called "Bender Bands." As someone of comparable age but completely incomparable success, I am jealous of this.

The last time someone returned from a career ending injury to play in the NBA was last year, with the whole Darius Miles debacle. That saga did not go particularly well - particularly not for Portland - due to all the shenanigans surrounding it. Miles played fairly well in his comeback, which was a plus, but it was all secondary to the drama, and it was not an enviable situation for any of the neutral parties. It finally ended this past summer when the Grizzlies let Miles walk unchallenged, unsatisfied as they were with his performance off the court. (As if to prove them right, Miles then got arrested.)

The last time it happened with the Knicks was with Allan Houston, who made two abortive comebacks in training camps 2007 and 2008 after succumbing to knee injuries in 2005. He never played another NBA game.

However, Bender is only 28 years old. There is no disgrace to be found here. If he can go, he should, and if he can't, then it cost nothing significant to find out.

What the Knicks stand to gain here is not particularly obvious; Bender stands to be the 15th man in an 8 man rotation, and given the aforementioned strength of his non-basketball career, he doesn't appear to need the money. The ignonimity of being on the inactive list alongside Cuttino Mobley doesn't seem like any more of a proud way to go than the original medical retirement, and the risk for the Knicks is that, if he gets hurt again, they're stuck with paying him.

But hey. Why not. Good luck to him.

Where Are They Now, 2009; Part 5

- Esteban Batista was recently released by Maccabi Tel-Aviv by mutual consent, after barely playing for their new coach, Pini Gershon. His playing time was so sparse that he wasn't even travelling with the team towards the end of his stay. Batista quickly became Nenad Krstic's targeted replacement for Triumph Libby Kennedy in Russia, but never signed with the team (despite reports that he did) due to his dislike of the cold Russian weather. The pussy. For Maccabi, Batista averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in Euroleague play.

- Former Grizzly Mike Batiste has fashioned a career as one of the better players in Europe. He is now into his sixth season with Panathinaikos, averaging team highs in points (12.6) and rebounds (4.), while shooting an amazing 74% from the field. Somewhere along the line, Batiste also managed to become a Bulgarian citizen. I have no idea how he did this.

- Sixers draft pick Edin Bavcic signed this very week with the Koeln 99ers in Germany, thus halfway to proving that my tenuous no-return-to-the-NBA-from-the-German-league allegation is, once again, ill-founded and stupid. Unfortunately for E-Bav, the other half of that claim - getting to the NBA - is going to be a lot harder to achieve.

- Lonny Baxter is out of jail and playing for Panionios in Greece. (Note: if a team name starts with P and has no E's in it, it's probably Greek.) He averages team highs in points (13.1) and rebounds (6.7).

- Jerome Beasley has played basically everywhere since falling out of the NBA. Since being waived by the Miami Heat in late 2004, Beasley has played in the CBA, Turkey, Spain, Poland, the D-League, Australia, the D-League again, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Spain again, and Israel. Now, he finds himself in that most fabled of basketball powerhouses, Holland, where he averages 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Eiffel Towers Den Bosch. Someone once told me why they were called the Eiffel Towers. All I remember is that it was better not knowing.

- Sani Becirovic averages 10.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.0 steals for Lottomatica Roma in Italy. However, unless you're a Denver Nuggets fan, you might be more interested in who his backup is - Brandon Jennings. But I won't spoil the suspense and tell you how well Jennings is doing - give it six weeks, and this series of posts will have reached the letter J. At that point, we can do the damn thing.

- Mirza Begic is a big old Bosnian who went undrafted back in 2007. But that doesn't mean he's no good. Playing for Union Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia (also a Euroleague team), Begic has averaged 10.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in Euroleague play, as well as 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in Adriatic League player. What you have there is a 23 year old late blooming 7'2 shot blocker, with some offensive talent, playing well against one of the higher standards of professional basketball around. If this man is not at least on your radar, then your radar's broke.

- Troy Bell is playing in the Italian second division with Vanoli Soresina (which to me sounds both a dermatological problem, and the brand name of the cream to cure it). Playing alongside rather unimpressive competition, Bell averages 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game, while shooting 34$ from three point range, which may or may not be evidence of an upward trend with regards to his jumpshot. Bell also averages 1.1 assists per game, which is exactly the number that your 6'1 point guard would have. Any less, and he'd just be being greedy.

- Jonathan Bender is still retired, and probably always will be. But he's not inactive - he has a charitable organisation (the Jonathan Bender foundation) and an entrepeneurshippy thing (Jonathan Bender Enterprises, a real estate development and property management company). Both of those organisations are based in New Orleans, helping to restore the city's infrastructure. Bender also owns an Italian wine company, a record label, an island in the Carribean, multiple real estate holdings, and is trying to patent a fitness device called "Bender Bands". (Buy one, just for the name alone.) This comes from a man who was drafted straight out of high school.

- Rod Benson went to France, barely played, and has subsequently returned to the D-League with the Dakota Wizards. And now, I will make the joke that I made last week one more time: I guess Nancy had had too much Rod Benson!!!! (You had better give that the laughter that it deserves.)

- Travis Best said that it would be his last season. He said that three seasons ago while leaving the NBA for Europe. He clearly lied, or couldn't shift the Euro bug, because he's still playing, now on his fourth European team. For Air Avellino, playing alongside Tamar Slay and Eric Williams (the Wake Forest centre, not the old arsed ex-Celtic forward), Best averages 10.0 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals, useful numbers from an old man.

- Finally, and most importantly, English ledge Andy Betts is alarmingly unsigned. This needs to change, as does my habit of starting every last entry with the word "finally".

Where Are They Now? Part 4

Jerome Beasley is playing for Ironi Ramat Gan of the Israeli league.

Sani Becirovic, 2003 draft pick of the Denver Nuggets, is forming a three headed European-guards-who-couldn't-quite-cut-it-in-the-NBA monster, along with Sarunas Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis, for Panathinaikos of Greece.

Mirza Begic is back playing for Olimpia Ljubljana in his native Slovenia. If that was of interest to you, congratulate yourself on being the only person interested in the career of Mirza Begic.

Troy Bell has had short stints at assorted European destinations since being waived by Memphis with his rookie contract still running, and his continued inability to shoot ensures that these stays are all short. He is currently playing with Fastweb Casale Monferrato in Italy's Lega 2. The big time awaits.

Jonathan Bender continues to wait for the onset of medical science to find a soultion to his knee cartilage problem, but he's not resting on his laurels - he's now in the philanthropy industry. What a legend.

Rod Benson is playing for the Dakota Wizards of the D-League and still writing away.

Travis Best said he was going to retire after the 2005 season, and then didn't. He continues to play in Europe, currently for La Fortezza Bologna of Italy.

Andrew Betts is still carrying the British basketball team, even if Luol Deng has rudely muscled in on his patch lately. Betts is playing for Seville, in Spain.

Joseph Blair is currently signed in Russia, for Spartak Vladivostock. And he still has two websites.

Will Blalock is playing for the Anaheim Arse of the D-League. (Due to a maturity problem, I shall refer to them as the Arse at all times, in place of their full name, Arsenal.)

LaVell Blanchard - THE LaVell Blanchard - is playing for Clermont in France. The French league is rather bad. So is LaVell Blanchard. And Clermont are stone cold last in the French ProA standings. So it all works out fine for everyone.

Corie Blount has retired and taken himself out of the NBA altogether, just like all of the greats should do.



More later.