Ben Gordon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ben Gordon

Gordon in 2013
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1983-04-04) April 4, 1983 (age 42) London, England
Nationality	British / American
High school	Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	UConn (2001–2004)
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2004–2017
Career history
2004–2009	Chicago Bulls
2009–2012	Detroit Pistons
2012–2014	Charlotte Bobcats
2014–2015	Orlando Magic
2017	Texas Legends
Career highlights and awards
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2005) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005) NCAA champion (2004) First-team All-Big East (2004) Second-team All-Big East (2003) Big East tournament MVP (2004)
Career statistics
Points	11,084 (14.9 ppg)
Rebounds	1,851 (2.5 rpg)
Assists	1,868 (2.5 apg)

Benjamin Ashenafi Gordon, born on April 4, 1983, is a British-American former professional basketball player. He played for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before that, he played college basketball for the University of Connecticut. There, he helped his team win a national championship in 2004.

Ben Gordon is the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award as a rookie. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench. He is also fourth in career three-point shots made for the Chicago Bulls. He shares an NBA record for making 9 three-point shots in a game without missing any.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Ben Gordon was born in London, England. His father was from Jamaica, and his mother was African-American. When he was a baby, his family moved to the United States. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York.

Gordon played high school basketball for the Mount Vernon Knights. He helped his team win the 2000 New York State Public and Federation Championships. He was a top player in New York and one of the best young players in the country. Many colleges wanted him to play for them, but he chose to go to UConn.

College Basketball Career

At UConn, Gordon quickly became an important player. As a freshman, he was the team's second-highest scorer. He often came off the bench but still made a big impact. He even hit a game-winning three-point shot against Villanova in the Big East tournament.

In his second year, Gordon led the Huskies in scoring with 19.5 points per game. He also led the team in assists. Because of his great play, he was named to the Second Team All-Big East.

In his third and final year at UConn, Gordon continued to shine. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He made 104 three-pointers, which was the second-highest in UConn's history for a single season. Gordon also set a record in the Big East Tournament by scoring 81 total points. He was named the Most Outstanding Performer of that tournament.

Gordon also won the Most Outstanding Player award for the Phoenix Regional in the NCAA tournament. He led all players in the tournament with 127 total points. His amazing play helped the Huskies win the NCAA championship. After this successful year, Gordon decided to enter the 2004 NBA draft. He was picked third overall by the Chicago Bulls. His UConn teammate, Emeka Okafor, was drafted right before him.

Professional Basketball Career

Chicago Bulls (2004–2009)

Rookie Season: Sixth Man of the Year

Ben Gordon signing autographs before a Chicago Bulls game

Before the 2004 NBA draft, Ben Gordon thought he would be picked later. But he had a feeling the Bulls might pick him third, just like they did with Michael Jordan 20 years earlier. Gordon wore number 4 in high school and college. However, with the Bulls, he wore number 7 because number 4 was retired for Jerry Sloan. Gordon explained that he combined being the third pick with his old number 4 to get 7. The Bulls also drafted Luol Deng in the same year.

Before Gordon joined in 2004, the Bulls had not won more than 30 games in a season since Michael Jordan left in 1998. In his rookie year, Gordon helped the team turn things around. They started with a 3–14 record but finished 47–35. This earned them the fourth spot in the playoffs. Gordon averaged 15.1 points per game. He also scored 10 or more points in the fourth quarter 21 times, which was second only to LeBron James. The Bulls lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Washington Wizards. After the season, Gordon made history by becoming the first rookie ever to win the NBA Sixth Man Award. He was also named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month three times and was on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Second Season: Setting Records

Gordon during a 2008–09 regular season game with the Bulls

In his second season, Gordon played both as a starter and off the bench for the Bulls. He started 47 games and came off the bench for 35. His playing time, scoring, and assist averages all increased. Gordon was chosen to play in the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend, where he scored 17 points.

On April 14, 2006, Gordon tied an NBA record. He made 9 three-pointers in a game without missing any, matching Latrell Sprewell's record. The Bulls returned to the playoffs but were again eliminated in the first round. This time, they lost to the Miami Heat, who went on to win the NBA championship.

Third Season: Playoff Success

Gordon's third season was a big step forward for him and the Bulls. He became the team's starting shooting guard. He averaged 21.4 points per game. The Bulls started the season 3–9 but finished with a strong 49–33 record. On March 4, 2007, Gordon scored a career-high 48 points. This helped the Bulls make an amazing comeback to win in overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Bulls faced the Heat again. This time, the Bulls won the series in four games. They became the first team in NBA history to sweep the defending champions in the first round. They then lost to the Detroit Pistons in the second round, but they pushed the series to six games after being down 3–0.

Final Seasons with the Bulls

After their first playoff series win in almost ten years, the Bulls had high hopes for the 2007–08 season. However, the team struggled, and their coach was fired. The Bulls then drafted Derrick Rose in 2008. This made people wonder how Gordon and Rose, both great scorers, would play together.

On October 1, 2008, Gordon signed a one-year contract with the Bulls. On December 27, 2008, he passed Scottie Pippen to become the Chicago Bulls' all-time leader in three-pointers made. Gordon and Rose learned to play well together. They helped the Bulls finish the season strong and make the playoffs.

In the playoffs, the Bulls faced the defending champion Boston Celtics. Many people thought the Bulls would lose easily. However, it was an exciting series with many close games and overtime periods. Gordon scored 42 points in one game. The Bulls pushed the series to seven games before finally losing. Gordon led the Bulls in scoring during both the regular season and the playoffs that year.

Detroit Pistons (2009–2012)

Ben Gordon spent three seasons in Detroit, between 2009 and 2012.

In July 2009, Ben Gordon signed a five-year contract with the Detroit Pistons. With the Pistons, he continued his role as a "sixth man," coming off the bench to provide scoring. On January 9, 2010, Gordon scored the ten millionth point in NBA history.

On March 22, 2012, Gordon again tied the NBA record for most three-point shots made without a miss, with 9. He scored 45 points in that game, helping Detroit come back from a 25-point deficit. However, they still lost the game to the Denver Nuggets.

Charlotte Bobcats (2012–2014)

On June 26, 2012, Gordon was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. On November 28, 2012, Gordon scored 20 points in the fourth quarter of a game against the Atlanta Hawks. This was the most points scored in one quarter by any player in Bobcats history. He finished that game with 26 points. He was waived by the Bobcats on March 2, 2014.

Orlando Magic (2014–2015)

On July 11, 2014, Gordon signed a two-year contract with the Orlando Magic. His last NBA game was played on March 22, 2015. He was waived by the Magic on June 29, 2015.

Other Teams (2015, 2017)

On September 28, 2015, Gordon signed with the Golden State Warriors. However, he was waived a few weeks later. On January 24, 2017, Gordon joined the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

National Team Career

On April 1, 2008, Ben Gordon was considered for the British national basketball team. He was eligible to play for Great Britain because he was born there and has dual citizenship. In 2010, he hoped to play for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics. However, he could not commit to the team at that time.

On July 22, 2016, it was announced that Gordon was on Great Britain's preliminary roster for the EuroBasket 2017 qualifiers. He made the final 12-man roster for these games. During the qualification games, he averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

Before playing for Great Britain, Gordon represented the United States national team at the 2003 Pan American Games.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Ben Gordon (baloncestista) para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point field goal percentage leaders
• List of European basketball players in the United States