Re: The Ben Gordon appreciation thread
Posted: Thu Jul 2, 2009 4:41 am
We offered fair money for 2 straight offseasons and then he goes to a rival. Up yours Ben. I won't the 'hope BG's bad shots go in' offense.
he made the bulls exciting again. I can't count the moments he gave us because there's just too many. A few random ones I can recall tho:
A game late in the 05-06 season. We're without Deng, without Duhon and our team needs every win desperately to make the playoffs sitting at 35-31. We're playing the Nets, a team that's pretty damn good at this point (47-29). Gordon drops 36, including 20 in the 4th quarter, to win it. He literally put us on his back and made sure we got the game that tied us for the 8th and final playoff spot.
Our 17 point comeback against Indiana in 05-06. Gordon scores 23 on his 23rd birthday, including a huge 3 pointer with the shot clock winding down. Noc gave it to BG in a terrible spot, way outside of the 3 point line, and a Jermaine O'Neal draped over him...gordon pivots leans in for an awkward shot from way downtown and buries it. highlights here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaIsz1hzjWU
The play I'm talking about is at 3:16. Btw, I love how pumped red kerr gets over this shot.
Bulls Wizards 04-05 playoffs game 1. The night belonged to Andres Nocioni, but this was simply, one of the best games I'd ever seen. I had completely forgotten what a chicago bull playoff game was like, and how much freakin better it was than a regular season game. I couldn't believe where our team had gotten themselves...from a cellar dwelling crap team to up 1-0 in the playoffs, led by virtually all rookies...BG dropped 30 to lead the bulls in his first ever playoff game. Also of note...Bulls played this hell of a series without Luol (surprise surprise) and Eddy Curry.
This year Bulls vs Pistons..Johhny Red Kerr night. I wanted to go to this game, but I wasn't able to get tickets at a good price. By complete chance my friends who work for the bulls were able to get me free tickets the morning of the game. This was possibly the best game I've been to. The atmosphere after the red kerr halftime ceremony was punctuated by a resounding comeback with the climax, Ben Gordon's 4 pt play, which sent me, someone who rarely gets loud during a game...into hysterics. Another high point of this game was where I was sitting..some crappy 3rd level seat. Some old guy popped next to me after the first half and sorta creeped me out, but before I knew it he was talking about how this was his 2nd game ever being at...his first being watching Dr. J on the Sixers. After talking about random games and moments that stuck out in our minds, we both decided that we had just witnessed one we'd never forget.
Bulls Nuggets 07-08. The game after trading Wallace...everyone plays well, but Gordon steals the show, entering an all out battle against realgm favorite JR Smith. 39 points, and straight up sickening shots. Fun tidbit..next time Denver visited the UC in 08-09..BG treated them the same..dropping 37 on the improved nuggets.
his 9-9 3 pt performance against the Wizards 05-06. What was most incredible about this was the last one he hit..an impossible shot for anyone else, he hit the 3 with someone all over him in the corner. And this wasn't just him beasting on a crap team either. The bulls actually went down in the final minute before BG hit that game saving 3.
I could keep going, it's just ridiculous how many games we won because of him. Ben Gordon is now my favorite player not on the Bulls.
I'm crying really I am. I loved you Ben you were our best player for years and I'll miss you A LOT!!!