The new prize Bull

14 April 2012

Chicago used to be the centre of the basketball world. As in Pamplona, the Bulls rampaged freely with a prize stud named Michael Jordan at the head of their ferocious pack.

The sport's greatest ever player delivered six NBA championships in eight seasons to the Windy City and a grateful public paid homage. When he left in 1998, however, so did the fans. A once proud team slipped back into humble obscurity.

Finally, Chicago cares again. The NBA's end-of-season play-offs begin this weekend and for the first time since the close of the reign of His Airness, the Bulls will be in the running. It is the storybook tale of the American sporting winter. No one anticipated that a crop of young, unproven prospects could become this good, this fast. And the catalyst and leader of their invigorated herd will be feted by those he left behind in London 22 years ago.

Ben Gordon doesn't remember too much about the capital. "I was born in Hammersmith, I know that," he said, breaking into a rare smile away from a face which was made to play poker. "We only lived there for 10 months before moving to New York. My grandmother moved there with her kids and eventually me, my sister and my mom joined her.

"But I still have family in London, some aunts, uncles, a couple of cousin, half-brother, half-sister, plus my dad. I used to go back and forth to visit them regularly but the last time was when I was in elementary school. Since I started playing basketball, I've not had the time. With my career, especially now, summers are dedicated to resting or working out."

He is not close to his father. "I never got to see him much," he said. "When I did come over, just hanging out with him and my half-brother and half-sister was really fun. I kind of remember some of the tourist things in London, palaces and stuff. But it's all kind of hazy."

What is clear is that Gordon has inherited the hopes once bestowed on Jordan. At college in Connecticut, he helped his university to the national title. In the USA, that brings widespread exposure and the lure of the professional ranks. Signing with the Bulls made him an instant millionaire but also unleashed expectations that he might be the one to raise the giants from the mire.

The past master offered advice, talking to him about getting his rest and eating the right way. Gordon said: "This is a very long season. It's very demanding. Michael told me that aside from basketball itself, those are the things you have to bear in mind."

A dream come true for many, he even got to play with Jordan in the strictly behind closed doors summer training sessions he established in his pomp.

"Even just on a casual basis, being around him, getting to know him a little was something else," said Gordon. "And as far as basketball goes, I was able to pick up one or two little things, just intangibles which help me on the court.

"Off the court, he's a really cool person, really down to earth. I didn't find him intimidating at all. He's used to people being in awe of him so he was very welcoming. I've been over to his house a few times. In fact, his wife, who works in real estate, even helped me find my house when I moved here."

On the court, the 6ft 3ins guard took time to settle. Unlike with his team-mate and fellow rookie, Brixton boy Luol Deng, there were no instant plaudits. The campaign began with nine straight defeats. Here come the Horri-bulls, they cried. Everything then fell into place.

Chicago's fresh-faced Turks began to run, with such speed that they raced to the third-best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference, a seeding which pairs them with the Washington Wizards in the first round of the play-offs. The opening game in the best-of-seven series is in Chicago on Sunday.

"We've created a buzz for ourselves, a level of expectation that we can go out on any night and win the game," said Gordon. "That's good for our fans because they haven't had that in a while. Before that, the expectations had fallen off the charts since Jordan left. They were that low. Starting 0-9, there weren't too many happy days. Now we're respected around the league."

Without Deng, who misses the rest of the season with a wrist injury, Gordon's load has been enhanced. Yet he has already shrugged off ample pressure. He is the NBA's Mr Fourth Quarter, a tag well merited after a series of last-gasp winning shots.

There may be more formal acknowledgments to follow. He will be in the running for the league's prestigious Rookie of the Year award and is a clear favourite to be named Sixth Man of the Year, accorded to the best performer in reserve. "I'm still a work in progress," he insisted.

Progress is all that Chicago asked for, however. The Bulls rampage once more.

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