# Bender Retires!!!



## Gonzo (Oct 14, 2004)

Just saw it on the bottom line on ESPNNEWS!

About time...


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

Great news!!!...

That's another chapter that we can finally close...

I hope that everything goes good with J.B....

Not at all his fault that it didn't work out, but I did enjoy watching the little time that he played...



*Go PaCeRs!!!!!*


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

Great news....let's get this money off the books right now. Does anybody that's a little more familiar with the CBA know if we can get what we owe him for the 2nd half of this year taken off our salary cap? Would that give us an exemption to pick up a free agent? Like give Spreewell a one-year $5 mil deal?

Either way, it should help us for next year.

Too bad about Bender...he coulda been special. I still remember drooling the first time I saw him, Al and JO all play in the same game and thinking we had the foundation of a decade-long dynasty on our hands.


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

Hopefully now we have the money to give a good contract to Freddie. Bye-bye Bender.


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## StephenJackson (Oct 28, 2004)

Sad, but great for the Pacers. More money is always a good thing.


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

Pacers Fan said:


> Hopefully now we have the money to give a good contract to Freddie. Bye-bye Bender.



How much cap room does he save us???...



*Go PaCeRs!!!!!*


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

Hoopshype has him listed at $7.8 mil next year, which would have been 3rd highest on the team to JO and Austin. As long as he's considered "medically unable to play basketball", the entire salary will come off the books. 

JB still gets his cash though


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

PaCeRhOLiC said:


> How much cap room does he save us???...


Around 17 million over the next two years. 8-9 million per.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

From what I read he really had no choice...I don't think a doctor would have been able to clear him to play as it seems playing again might have caused permanent damage.

I can't remember how exactly this effects their cap for next year,but he doesn't come off the books until one year after his retirement and some doctors need to certify that he can't play any more.The luxury tax is calculated from your salary at the end of the season and I think that they can use the capspace he frees up because he won't be on the books at season's end.It's not very clear to me though.In fact you'd think they write it so that it's as confusing as possible.


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## onetwo88 (Jul 16, 2002)

From http://www.insidehoops.com

The following is a statement from Indiana Pacers’ forward Jonathan Bender:

“Due to a medical condition in my knees, I will not be able to continue playing basketball. I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to spend six seasons with the Indiana Pacers and I want to thank the organization for their support and encouragement. I learned how to be a professional from the best GM in the business, Donnie Walsh, and one of the all-time greatest basketball players, Hall of Famer Larry Bird. The Pacers gave me a chance to play with -- and against -- the best basketball players in the world. That is an experience I will cherish forever. Pacers fans are the best in the league and I will never forget their loyalty and the way they embraced me when I came to this city as a young man. As difficult as it is for me right now not to be playing basketball, I know that I will always have the memories of my teammates, the fans, and Pacers management. For that, I am grateful.”


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

^^^ Professional as ever...

Great quote J.B. :clap: ...

Thanks for the link Onetwo..



*Go PaCeRs!!!!!*


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## GM3 (May 5, 2005)

WOW, I had no idea his contract was that big.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

I wonder what he's gonna do now. College?


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## clownskull (Jun 21, 2002)

sorry it couldn't work out for him as a player. he did at times pose some interesting possibilities when playing. however, it had been clear for several years that his condition was getting worse and not better . to say i am relieved that this is now coming to a close is like saying the sears tower is a tall building.
moving forward-at last!


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## southeasy (Jun 11, 2003)

very professional comments about the pacers organization and fans, even though alot of you "fans" don't deserve it because i always see alot of you hating on JB.

he will always be one of my favourite players, since he was traded by my team T.O. and traded to your team for AD, and participating in the dunk contest with my man stromile, one of the most athletic 7-footers, with hops & a great skill set. Jonathan "BEST PRACTICE PLAYER EVER" Bender will be missed by me, i had so much faith for his return.


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## PacersguyUSA (Sep 1, 2002)

Someone needs to make a JB highlight reel in his honor.


Still remember the Boston series sweep when he was at his best.


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## Auggie (Mar 7, 2004)

two execellent news today! this freeloader finally retires and we beat pistons today


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## Grangerx33 (Mar 9, 2004)

I loved the guy.......


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## absolutebest (Jun 10, 2002)

He had one dunk where he went coast to coast and jammed to beat the buzzer at the end of a quarter. I think that it was against Miami. That was unbelievable. The Boston series two years ago was great... he had a nice jam on Big Ben that same year.


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## absolutebest (Jun 10, 2002)

Pacers Fan said:


> Hopefully now we have the money to give a good contract to Freddie. Bye-bye Bender.


Thank you!!!!!!


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

southeasy said:


> very professional comments about the pacers organization and fans, even though alot of you "fans" don't deserve it because i always see alot of you hating on JB.


Me saying he's constantly injured, and when he isn't, he hurts us more than help, is "hating"? I consider that being real since he couldn't defend and had to play isolation to help us, when he should've just accepted a role as a role player. At least someone like Freddie Jones can play both roles when called upon.



> participating in the dunk contest


Don't remind me. Bender was terrible in the dunk contest.


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## Banjoriddim (Aug 14, 2004)

It's over finally! I hope he will find hes place in life... actually I am sure he will.


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## jdohman (Nov 20, 2005)

Auggie said:


> two execellent news today! this freeloader finally retires and we beat pistons today



free lodader :curse: Why dont you have a nice glass of STFU. Bender was anything but a freeloader. The guy worked harder than anyone on the team just to play. Its not his fault or the pacers fault that he was dealt a card with bad knee's on it. 

The guy would give anything in the world to be healthy and to be out there playing with way he can. How would you feel if your life dream was ruined because your knees wouldnt let you play more than 2 games at a time.



I hope the best for JB. :cheers:


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## PacersguyUSA (Sep 1, 2002)

jdohman said:


> free lodader :curse: Why dont you have a nice glass of STFU. Bender was anything but a freeloader. The guy worked harder than anyone on the team just to play. Its not his fault or the pacers fault that he was dealt a card with bad knee's on it.
> 
> The guy would give anything in the world to be healthy and to be out there playing with way he can. How would you feel if your life dream was ruined because your knees wouldnt let you play more than 2 games at a time.
> 
> ...



He took millions of dollars and played less than 5% of the time. How was he not a free loader, inadvertantly or not?


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## clownskull (Jun 21, 2002)

well, i guess i am one of those "fans". just because i have been critical of the situation doesn't make me a hater. that word has been so overused that it hardly has any meaning anymore. this team excersized more patience with this situation than any pro team has ever done with any player that i can possibly recall. it really needed to come to this inevitable conclusion and should have last year but, whats done is done. as far as having total faith in his return, i don't know how anyone could truly have any. every year he missed significantly more games and then when you consider how early this season he put his house in indy up for sale- that plus the fact that he wasn't even with the team anymore before the month of december came around should have made it crystal clear that this experiment was over.

my favorite players need more than raw athletic ability, they need to actualy play for the team as well and that just wasn't going to happen with bendy. anyhow, as it stands, bendy should have more than enough money to live a very luxurious life without ever worrying about money which is more than the vast majority of people can say at 25. i don't hate the guy but, its not like i am going to lose sleep over how rotten a deal in life he got. 
sorry it couldn't work out for you jon but, it is over and time to get someone who can really help this team.


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## supermati (Mar 28, 2005)

I was hoping to see this guy at his prime.
Well, I hope him the best, seeing a promising guy retire is no good news for me.


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## JayRedd (Jan 2, 2006)

PacersguyUSA said:


> He took millions of dollars and played less than 5% of the time. How was he not a free loader, inadvertantly or not?


Actually, Donnie Walsh _gave_ him millions of dollars based on his professional evaluation of Jonathan's potential. And in Benders attempts to live up to this contract and live out his dream of playing in the NBA, he has entirely decimated both of his knees to the point that he will have early onset arthritis probably by the time he is 35 and possibly much, much worse repercussions.

This is really no different than the Grant Hill situation, aside from the fact that Bender was paid on potential and Hill for actual production. I have never read a single account of Bender ever doing anything less than giving his full effort towards recovery. Be angry at the situation and the wasted potential. But don't be angry at Bender for his genetics.


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## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

^^^...Great Post Jay...



*Go PaCeRs!!!!!*


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