Being hyped for his size, athleticism and all around skill, Bender scored 10 points in 13 minutes against Cleveland on December 10, 1999.

[5] In 2005, Bender was rated by Sports Illustrated as #11 on the list of the 20 biggest busts in modern NBA draft history.

[6] Highlights of Bender's career as a Pacer included participating in the Slam Dunk competition during 2001's All-Star weekend, where he executed a Julius Erving-style tomahawk jam from the free throw line, left-handed.

Despite a lack of personal statistical success given his initial expectations, the Pacers made the postseason every year of Bender's tenure.

"Jonathan has worked extremely hard in preparing himself for a return to the NBA," said Donnie Walsh, Knicks President of Basketball Operations.

But especially notably, Knicks coaches believed he showed great improvement in practice as the season progressed.