“…New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that free agent forward Jonathan Bender has been signed to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Jonathan has worked extremely hard in preparing himself for a return to the NBA,” said Walsh. “I know him to be a young man of the highest character from my relationship with him that dates back 10 years to his rookie year and I think he will be a fine addition to our team both on and off the court.”

Bender, 7-0, 230-pounds, has career averages of 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 15.0 minutes in 237 games (27 starts) over seven NBA seasons, all with Indiana. The Picayune, MS-native was selected out of high school by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Pacers on Aug. 1, 1999 in exchange for Antonio Davis.

Bender enjoyed his most productive NBA season in 2001-02 when he averaged career-highs of 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 21.1 minutes in a career-high 78 games. Injuries forced Bender to miss 172 games over the next three seasons before he was forced to stop playing due to chronic knee pain on Feb. 4, 2006, after playing in just two games in 2005-06…”

Before anyone hates...Realize that Donnis drafted this kid as a high school kid. The guy had a huge growth spurt in high school....then bam!!!....nba. He was rail thin but super athletic. No wonder he had knee problems and had to retire just barely in his 20's.

Al Harrington taked about Donnie as a father figure to him when he came in the nba. Bender and Al both were drafted outta high school and were on the team together so I'm sure they both felt this way. To me its just a great jesture...I think it will boost the moral of the team and should be a nice feel good story for us fans...

Marv wrote:wow things come full circle. donnie beat the knicks with antonio and dale so knicks got themselves camby, then beat the pacers. donnie responded by getting bender. he was supposed to be the next generation of mobile super long forwards, kind of a kg/camby/rashard mix. wonder if he had any kind of recoup in his knees.

I'm thinking...and hoping his body just got a chance to really mature naturally....He was a kid coming in. He went from growth spurt to the nba. His cronic knee pain probably was due to him not ever having a chance to settle into his body. This is my theory at least...

I wish the dude luck. A 7 footer that can run and jump, shoot threes and block shots...on well rested knees...sounds like a plan.

Paladin55 wrote:Do we have to get rid of anyone on our roster to sign Bender?

No Knicks had an open roster spot...remember when they cut Joe Crawford...they didn't have to cuz they had an open spot but Donnie and D'antoni opted not to carry the full 15 man roster.

orangeblobman wrote:I don't understand this. Guy's 28 and hasn't played in the NBA in 3 or 4 years. And he was horrible back then, too. He won't play a single game for us. This is probably a personal favor or something Donnie is giving the guy, and maybe they need an extra body for practice, maybe because Darko is being a douche. File this in 'non-news'.

Wouldn't we assume that the Knicks put him through some extensive drills and maybe watched him play in some kind of simulated game situation before we signed him?