Getty Chicago Bulls star Ben Gordon reacts during a 2009 bout with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Former Chicago Bulls star Ben Gordon has been arrested once again, this time in Stamford, Connecticut — just a couple hours’ drive from where he once starred as a collegiate baller at UConn.
As reported by TMZ, Gordon was taken into custody on the morning of Tuesday, April 4 after employees at a juice shop accused him of threatening them with a knife.
Per the report, Gordon — who had just turned 40 on the date of the incident — was coaxed out of the establishment without incident. At that point, however, the ex-Bull “became aggressive when [police] attempted to pat him down outside,” according to TMZ. In the end, it took “several officers” to subdue the former baller, the outlet reported.
Officers said they discovered a folding knife clipped to his pants, in addition to finding a stun gun and a pair of brass knuckles in his bag, TMZ reported.
TMZ later released video footage of what they reported was the incident, which shows as many as five officers struggling to contain a person who is presumed to be Gordon just outside of the aforementioned establishment.
Gordon has been arrested several times over the years. In November 2022, he was arrested following a physical altercation with security at the McDonald’s at 600 N. Clark St. in Chicago.
Earlier that year, he was arrested following an incident at LaGuardia Airport in New York, when witnesses claimed that he punched his 10-year-old son “several times in the face after the boy dropped a book on the ground” as the two were boarding a Chicago-bound flight, per ESPN.
Ben Gordon Was a Key Cog in the Team’s ‘Baby Bulls’ Resurgence Several Years After Michael Jordan’s Retirement
After winning an NCAA championship with the UConn Huskies, Gordon joined the Bulls in 2004 when the team selected him No. 3 overall in that year’s NBA draft. He was an instant hit, too, putting together one of the best rookie seasons not only in franchise history but also in the annals of the Association.
Gordon is one of just six players since the league adopted the three-point line in 1979 to have shot 40% or better from deep on 300-plus attempts as a first-year player. Of those six, only Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry scored more than Gordon’s 15.1 points per game.
The sharpshooter would play four more seasons in the Windy City as a key cog in the “Baby Bulls” era. Over that span, he put up 20-plus PPG during two separate seasons and consistently shot in the 40s from behind the arc. Along the way, the Bulls made three trips to the playoffs, after not having been there since the Michael Jordan era.
Gordon’s Bulls tenure officially came to an end in 2009 when he signed with the Detroit Pistons. However, the Gordon-Charlie Villanueva core that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had been banking on to make waves in the East ultimately disappointed. And Gordon’s career would never again reach the level it did when he was with the Bulls.
In his 11 years as an NBA player (with four different teams), Gordon averaged 14.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while making 40.1% of his three-point attempts.
Gordon Has Been Open About His Mental Health Struggles Since Retiring
Gordon has spoken on multiple occasions about having struggled with mental health issues throughout his life. However, those issues became even more troublesome when his playing career finally reached its end.
In a 2020 article for The Players’ Tribune, Gordon wrote about having suffered from delusions, insomnia and panic attacks. He also wrote about having suicidal thoughts when he could no longer occupy himself with his basketball career. It was his hope that, by sharing his story, he might be able to help others who were suffering.
“If you’re f****** with this story, don’t do what I did. Get some help,” Gordon wrote. “Because you’re not crazy, dog. You’re not damaged. You’re just human like the rest of us.”