Who is Ben Gordon and why did he get arrested? All you need to know
According to numerous reports, former NBA star Ben Gordon was arrested at LaGuardia airport on Monday for hitting his 10-year-old son. Gordon was reportedly prevented from boarding his flight by police officers after being arrested. Port Authority officers handcuffed the British native before he was able to board the flight.
Ben Gordon's 10-year-old son was reportedly taken away by his aunt to a nearby hospital for evaluation. As of this writing, charges are being processed against Gordon by the Port Authority police station. The charges against him are pending.
Ben Gordon has spoken about his mental illness in the past. In an interview with The Players Tribune in 2020, the former Orlando Magic guard spoke about his mental health issues since retirement. Gordon also revealed that he attempted suicide because he could not cope with his mental health issues.
Ben Gordon was arrested numerous times, including in 2017, when he was arrested for an alleged assault and robbery. Gordon was also arrested for driving with a forged license and pulling fire alarms in his Los Angeles apartment when there wasn't a fire.
Ben Gordon's basketball career
Ben Gordon played in the NBA for 11 seasons. The UConn athlete came into the league with significant hype. He was part of the NCAA championship-winning team in 2004.
The Chicago Bulls selected Gordon with the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Gordon won the NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA Sixth Man of the Year in his rookie season. He became the first rookie in NBA history to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Gordon earned a lot of money during his NBA career. According to various reports, he made around $85 million in salaries during his NBA career. Gordon played for the Bulls for five seasons. The Bulls, who had not won 30 games in any regular season since Jordan's retirement, won 47 games in his rookie season.
Gordon then signed with the Detroit Pistons and played three seasons in 'Motor City.' During his playing days in Detroit, he suffered an ankle injury that required surgery. This injury affected his explosiveness and started his downward spiral.
His injuries started creeping up on him continuously and eventually derailed his NBA career. He was traded several times but didn't end up impacting any team. Gordon also represented his home country in the EuroBasket qualifiers in 2017.