Cabrera: A Worthwhile Break

With the 5^th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select…Jonathan Bender of Picayune High School in Mississippi. Don’t quote me, but those exact words most likely came out of Commissioner David Stern’s mouth back in the 20^thcentury. A little over 10 years later, Bender’s career has been a success. But unlike every other NBA player, Bender’s success has nothing to do with the game of basketball.

The lean 6’11”, 202 lbs. two-time high school player of the year in Mississippi was soon swapped for Antonio Davis of the Indiana Pacers on draft night. Playing seven years in the NBA, he averaged a timid 5.6 ppg and 2.2 rpg. However, after the 2001-2002 season, he impressed Donnie Walsh and the Pacer front office by playing 77 games and averaging 7.4 points, granting him a 4-year $28.5 mill. contract extension. After that extension, Bender’s potential never became production. He suffered chronic knee injuries, eventually undergoing surgery that involved removing cartilage from his ailing knee. For the final four years of his career, he only played 76 games, including 2 in his final season. Goodbye basketball, hello business.

Three years out of the league, Jonathan has found success in many areas. He runs an Italian wine importing company, invests in high-end reality, worked on creating a fitness product called “Bender Bands”, and owns a recording studio in New Orleans. Aside from his entrepreneurial projects, Bender has also given back to the community, particularly in the New Orleans area. He has established an after school program for the Joseph S. Maggiore Elementary school, where kids are tutored and visited by various professionals. He is also using his real-estate ties and building company (Kingdom Homes) to rebuild and restore many damaged homes by way of Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, he makes the new houses as affordable as possible, giving the previous owners a realistic opportunity to repurchase the property. At only 28 years old, the young Bender is still full of ambitions, but what could he possibly be up to now?

For the past six months, he has been training 6 days per week with Olympic high-jumper Charles Austin. The one thing both of these men have in common: knee problems. Surely, Bender must be researching rehabilitation methods for people suffering knee injuries. Not so much. The former McDonald’s High School All-American MVP has been training for his NBA comeback. Bender, who works with a physical therapist nearly every day, claims his knee is no longer an issue.

If Jonathan feels confident that he can make an impact on a team, I believe him. Now, it might not be on the court, but with his off-the-court résumé, it’s safe to say he’d provide a positive impact in the locker room. A guy like Bender could serve as a great mentor and role model to a rookie or younger player. Not to mention, at a very affordable price. It’s safe to say that Bender probably won’t command more than the league minimum of about $950,000. Who knows, maybe he pans out and delivers that coveted potential he used to own when playing for Indiana.

During a time of economic instability in the NBA, Bender is a low-risk, low-cost investment who can fill a final roster spot. All eyes turn to Donnie Walsh, the general manager of the New York Knicks, who drafted Bender back in 1999 and has always had high praise for his skills on the court (Walsh did give him that generous 4-year extension). It would be the ultimate feel good story to see Jonathan Bender succeed in an NBA comeback, and one more accomplishment for the 28-year old to add to the long list of successes in his unusual, yet compelling career.