The Ben Gordon appreciation thread

Red Larrivee · Post #61 » by **Red Larrivee** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:05 am

Does anyone have the full size .gif of the Ball-Grabbing shot?

blumeany · Post #62 » by **blumeany** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:13 am

Thanks for the memories Ben. But now that you're a Piston, **** you! :lol:

LikeMike23 · Post #63 » by **LikeMike23** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:16 am

In my opinion, Ben Gordon was the best Bull since Michael Jordan. I shall miss him immensely. Also, I hope he comes back to the United Center to torch the Bulls for at least one game next year. That is all!

The 6ft Hurdle · Post #64 » by **The 6ft Hurdle** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:17 am

Dang, BG was the reason I went back to following the team back in 04-05.

I ddin't even care who Ben Gordon was during the draft, all I know is that we didn't get Iggy which was kind of an ehhhh kind of move. We started the season 0-9 and I just fell off, but ironically I did see a bright future for Luol Deng.

Then out of nowhere, we started winning games, which was quite appalling to me, led by the rookie sensation, Ben Gordon. I don't remember when I got interested again, but by the time it was all said and dead, he had 20 of those double-digit 4th quarters...I'd never heard commentors talk so much about the importance of "clutch."

What he did as a rookie was quite special, something I thought we could've milked those abilities lot more during the Skiles era.

Showed he had that ability till the very end. Anyone who would ever post on a game thread, either him or on bbb.net would always expect him to be the guy, when it came down to actually closing down or stealing the win, because he was the only one who could string together 9 points in a hurry.

I'm afraid that this ability to score in vicious streaks of perimeter and 3-point shots isn't so easily replicated, though because it's perceived by most unibrowed average joe Boers and Bernstein listeners as "only" one trait and falls under the general category of "scoring", it's easy to dismiss as inconsequential.

Won't forget the Indiana game in 05-06 when we were down 17 with 7 minutes to go, and he erupted with 16 points in the 4th, sparking the rest of our playoff run en route to a 12-3 finish. Along the way he tabbed that 9 for 9 performance on ESPN that helped solidify a playoff spot for us.

I'll never understand why Boylove and Skiles wanted to keep him off the bench in favor of the horrible Duhon-Kirk lineup or VDN even thought it was a good idea to start Thabo in front of him, but all of those early season decisions were prime motivation for BG to get off the bench and keep proving them wrong. He continued to be the strongest scorer not because there was no one else but because he was that strong a scorer.

Back in the days when there was thought that he would be a part-time point guard, I said that I thought he could be OUR Chauncey Billups, a re-made, deadly long-bombing throwing clutch player who can take another team's heart out with his barrage of shooting. Looks like he might he get a real chance at that.

A dios, Ben.

Other bits of memory on BG7:

-The tribute game to Red and Norm where he and Rose combined for 18 points in the last 5 minutes to beat an unrelenting Rockets team.

-The first game where he scored 40-something against the Heat.

-The double-four point play games this season against the Clip Show and heh, his new employer

-That Spurs home game in 06-07 where we played the cleanest basketball ever and just cleaned out the eventual champions. All the posters that day were talking about how BG had played his best team basketball ever.

-That New Years Eve game against Dwight Howard where tried to carry this new Boylan era into respectability and came up with 39 or something

-Those games against New York when he was always hitting the last shot

-The game where Redd and Gordon combined for 100 points

-The Suns home game in 06-07 where he scored 40-something without Kirk and we should've won if not for a trick shot by Barbosa

-The shot against Bosh in Toronto this past year, a game which we let slip

-How we should've beaten Boston in Game 2 with that should've-been backbreaking 3-pointer that made it 109-103. Almost similar to that game where he had 42 against the Heat, but D-Wade off a terrible inbounds got the last laugh. BG always seemed to have pretty good offensive games against that All-defensive teamer Dwyane Wade.

-How we should've won game 5 with an awkward-potentially game winning shot which went in that Doug Collins openly questioned "what's he doing?!" to which Kevin Harlan said "he's winning the game, that's what he's doing!"

-How he was the only one willing to take shots in Game 7 on a bum hamstring but nothing would fall

cark · Post #65 » by **cark** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:28 am

Magilla_Gorilla wrote:I appreciate Ben for the great moments he had as a Bull, and for making me believe in Chicago basketball again.

Yep. That 04-05 season could be my favorite of all time, and he was a huge reason. Maybe the biggest reason.

I'm glad for the time he was here, thankful he helped make the team matter again, and now I'm excited to see what's next for the Bulls.

BG43 · Post #66 » by **BG43** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:32 am

Sad sad day... I don't know what to do with myself. I think the Bulls will really end up regretting this move, along with signing Deng to that contract last summer, but hey, we shall see.

I'll still be rooting for him to do well in Detroit.

Addicted123 · Post #67 » by **Addicted123** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:35 am

Congratulations to Ben Gordon for ridding himself of the stench of Rein$dorf's Bulls. I wish him great success in Detroit. I hope he drops 50 when comes back to the UC.

ballerkingn2 · Post #68 » by **ballerkingn2** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:38 am

1st michael jackson dies now ben gordan who from my neck of the woods is gone from my fav team this is crazy.

SHO'NUFF · Post #69 » by **SHO'NUFF** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:38 am

I miss him already. DET got a fantastic bball player.

t-time · Post #70 » by **t-time** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:41 am

Favourite Gordon moments

- In Charlotte when he bombed like 20 something in the 4th quarter including some crazy 3's over Brezec? to win us the game

- In his rookie season, where you knew in the 4th quarter he would just light the opposition up. Skiles had us like a gridiron team, everyone had a specific role and Gordons was to close games out. Back then when there was no ILP I remember following box scores and knowing Gordon would just start getting hot. One game in Seattle we were down with 5 seconds to go and we had the ball and I just knew I would press refresh and the game would be over and Gordon would have hit the game winner = and he did.

- The daggers he hit at Madison square 'gordon'. He also hit a nice 20 foot jumper at the UC to beat the Knicks in OT. I hated the Knicks with a passion and Gordon was like our fearless warrior.

- The series against Miami in 06/07 where he was just electrifying. Him and Luol were amazing and I really thought one of them would be our first all stars since the dynasty break up.

Im just happy I got to see Gordon play live at the United Center last year. He hit some clutch shots in that game. I remember he missed a 3 in the corner and then on the next possession he got the ball open in the same spot and I called out 'He never misses in the same spot twice' in my Australian accent and it was nothing but net. After he hit that the surrounding 80 year old bulls fans with their $10,000 suits looked at me and gave me the nod of approval. (before they left to beat the traffic)

Ahh Ben Gordon you b*stard, its going to be hard seeing you on another team.

Oh well, atleast we arent the Grizzlies I guess...

BG43 · Post #71 » by **BG43** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:41 am

I don't know about anyone else, but with this team now I don't see us making the playoffs.

t-time · Post #72 » by **t-time** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:41 am

Addicted123 wrote:Congratulations to Ben Gordon for ridding himself of the stench of Rein$dorf's Bulls. I wish him great success in Detroit. I hope he drops 50 when comes back to the UC.

I hope he drops 50 on us, then runs to Reinsdorf's suite and turkey slaps him.

Post #73 » by **BrooklynBulls** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:42 am

At the beginning of the 07-08 season, during training camp, Scott Skiles teased Ben Gordon about missing free throws at a practice. Skiles challenged him to shoot 90% for an entire season. Gordon said he would. He shot 90.8% that season.

BG43 · Post #74 » by **BG43** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:43 am

Can people stop calling him Ben Gordan already I mean c'mon.

whonka · Post #75 » by **whonka** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:45 am

This following video elicited the same emotion in me as when I found out today that BG is gone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOsQvHLauYE

sporadiclee · Post #76 » by **sporadiclee** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:45 am

Thanks for the groin-grabbingly good times, Ben. A part of me will miss you, but a bigger part of me thinks the team will benefit from your absence in the long term.

BG43 · Post #77 » by **BG43** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:47 am

bullybullz wrote:Ahhhh Ben Gordon. What can I say about you?? You were my favorite Bull the first 3 years you were with the team. You made big shots in the clutch, the team was winning, a new foundation was developing with the Baby Bulls!!

Oh my how things have changed the last 2 years from you. You weren't the same player I used to be rooting for. You mentioned in an article on how you went to NBA.com to regularly check your stats. This was foreshadowing now wasn't it? About how it wasn't all about the team and wins but in fact about the money. Maybe you were hiding your true intentions your first 3 years or maybe money changed you. In a bad way.

It was shocking the way you played. Taking contract/chuck shots. I first thought this was just going to be a one-game thing but when it happened routinely, I just couldn't root for you anymore and wanted you gone. You weren't playing for the team, you were playing for your next contract. Thus I had to name you BUM Gordon. You were my favorite player!!!

I wish these last 2 seasons, you played like your first 3 seasons but I guess it just wasn't meant to be huh? Everything happens for a reason.

Well at least now I won't ever have to worry about your sorry ass being a member of the Chicago Bulls ever again!!. Go break a leg in Detroit you money-greedy bastard!!

Read the title of the thread. Get out of here.

Post #78 » by **DJhitek** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:52 am

whonka wrote:This following video elicited the same emotion in me as when I found out today that BG is gone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOsQvHLauYE

Nice

I will miss Ben, and I agree with SHO-NUF. Detroit got a fantastic player, kudos to Ben for getting paid and playing up to his potential in a year he figured was his last here.

redbull · Post #79 » by **redbull** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:53 am

I appreciate Ben and all but didn't we kind of figure this was going to happen for a while now.

Jo Jo English · Post #80 » by **Jo Jo English** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:57 am

I'm about as depressed about this as I can be for for things related to the Bulls. Everyone said it was coming, but I just didn't want to accept it. I still can't believe that of the trio of Hinrich, Deng, and Gordon... Ben is the one we choose to let leave. Just terrible.

Good luck BG7.