Why was former Chicago Bulls player Ben Gordon arrested and is he mentally stable?
The former NBA player and one-time player for recently crowned national champions, UConn, has found himself on the wrong side of the law and for disturbing reasons.
With this not being the first time in recent months that Gordon has found himself charged with an offense, one has to wonder what kind of path is that the once promising NBA talent continues to walk.
Ben Gordon arrested on multiple charges
On Tuesday morning, former Sixth Man of the Year Ben Gordon, was arrested on weapons and threatening charges at a Connecticut juice shop according to reports. As per reports, Gordon was detained on the same day as his 40th birthday and has been charged with three counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, as well as two counts of misdemeanor second-degree threatening. It is understood that he faces additional charges of interfering with an officer, sixth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct.
As per reports, Stamford police responded to a call at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning about man who was causing a disturbance at a juice shop and brandished a knife at employees. Police arrived at the scene where they stated he was “acting erratically.” According to law enforcement officials, Gordon agreed to exit the establishment but then stopped complying, at which point he was forced to the ground and handcuffed. Officers later discovered a knife clipped to his pants in addition to a stun gun and brass knuckles which were found in his backpack.
The truth is Ben Gordon might not be OK
Regarding Gordon’s current status, reports indicate that he was later released after posting $10,000 bail and receiving an April 18th court date. The problem, however, is that we’ve been here before. Just last October, Gordon was charged with assault, resisting arrest and violating a restraining order against his son, after he allegedly punched his son in the face at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Believe it or not, there was also another violent incident a month before, in which Gordon was arrested in Chicago after allegedly punching a security guard at McDonald’s. On that occasion he was charged with misdemeanor battery causing bodily harm, and battery making physical contact.
Truthfully, there are other occasions on which Gordon has crossed legal lines, such as a 2017 incident involving the fire alarms in his Los Angeles apartment. Yet, there was also his hospitalization in October of that year. Gordon was subjected to a psychiatric evaluation after an incident involving a female patron at a holistic wellness center. To that end, context became clearer in 2020 when Gordon revealed his struggles with bipolar disorder. Ultimately, Ben Gordon may be more a man in need of help than one who means to hurt others.
Who was Ben Gordon the basketball player?
What makes Gordon’s troubling behavior all the more surprising - if we adhere to cliches about those to whom much is given - is the promise that he showed as a young basketballer making the jump from the college game to the NBA. Indeed, after spending three seasons with UConn which culminated in a national championship in 2004, Gordon entered the NBA Draft of that year and was selected No. 3 overall. Then, as if to punctuate the point, he was named 6th man of the year in his rookie season. In total he spent 11 seasons in the NBA and played for teams such as the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, the then Charlotte Bobcats and the Orlando Magic