In a sense, Jonathan Bender was supposed to be what Tyrese Haliburton currently is for the Indiana Pacers.
Bender was billed as the next face of the franchise in Indianapolis. He was selected No. 5 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. In a draft day deal, he was then shipped to Indiana for veteran big man Antonio Davis. Bender entered the NBA from Picayune Memorial High School in Mississippi.
Former Pacers $22 Million Forward Signs With Western Conference Squad
Bender joined an elite team coached by Larry Bird, It featured the likes of Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Dale Davis, Mark Jackson, Sam Perkins, Jalen Rose, and Rik Smits. Bender was billed as a raw yet uber-athletic player with terrific skill and an immense ceiling. Many believed him to represent the new age wing similarly to what Kevin Durant developed into.
Unfortunately for Bender, injuries effectively ruined his career. He played in only 24 games as a rookie. In seven years with the Pacers, Bender played in 237 of a possible 574 regular season games. A balky knee completely hindered any progress he made, and after parts of seven seasons, Indiana severed ties with the promising talent.
Bender sat out three-straight seasons trying to get healthy. He made a brief return in 2009-10 with the New York Knicks. However after appearing in 25 games at age 29, Bender never played in the NBA again.
Bender recently gave an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson in which he spoke about his career and the unfulfilled promise. Interesting enough, it was a quote from his former coach Bird that resonated with him immensely.
