<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Scott Skiles uses hyperbole about as often as Allen Iverson passes, so his take on Ben Gordon's off-season commitment demands attention. "Ben's summer ranks right there with the greatest summer I've seen from a player," Skiles said.</p> Gordon's bank account is larger than that of average folks and could grow even more if an extension is reached by the Oct. 31 deadline. His jumper is prettier and more accurate than most readers' too. But Gordon possesses a quality that any self-respecting worker can understand. "I love to get better," Gordon said after practice Wednesday. "That's the reason I play. That's the reason I started. It was never about maybe making a million dollars playing basketball. So I still have that same love for the game and that same drive. Until that goes, people will see me here every summer working hard and trying to get better." That's why the mellow Gordon merely shrugs when told of Skiles' assessment. It's not that the Bulls guard doesn't appreciate it. It's more that he doesn't know another way. "I've been doing this since high school, before anybody knew who I was," Gordon said. About the only changes to Gordon's summer were the frequency and fashion of the workouts. A typical day featured a morning basketball workout, a range-of-motion or stretching session and then a return to the Berto Center for another basketball workout. "I wouldn't even attempt to guess how many balls he shot this summer," Skiles said. Gordon, one of the stronger players on the Bulls, is built like a fireplug and focused heavily on weightlifting in recent off-seasons. But last summer he embraced workouts to increase his flexibility and range of motion in an attempt to prevent injury, typically opting for Pilates. He attended studios both in the north suburbs and downtown. Sadly for photo opportunities, he took 60- or 90-minute classes with private instructors rather than the public. "I wasn't in there with a leotard and the wives and all that," Gordon said, laughing. His basketball workouts were serious stuff, full-court drills in an attempt to mimic game speed and conditioning demands. Sweat equity can be messy and pretty at the same time. "To just come in the gym and individually work out gets old, no matter how much you love the game," Skiles said. "I loved to be in the gym by myself. But it's hard to stay with that. "Ultimately, what you want to have is guys who you feel like aren't leaving anything on the table. They're doing everything they can do to be a better player. He's certainly doing that." Gordon can't help himself. "I can't, man," he said. "After the season, some people are like, 'Yo, Ben, you need to take a month off.' I've tried it. And I'm bored. It doesn't feel right. I think I'm far from losing my drive. That will never happen. If that ever happened, I'd go through depression. Basketball means a lot." Which is why it will cost a lot for John Paxson to re-sign Gordon, something the general manager has vowed to do even if it's next summer. "You want to see guys like that succeed," Paxson said. You just don't want to see Gordon in a leotard.</div></p> LINK</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <p class="News">Bulls coach Scott Skiles didn't waste time making a bold declaration about Ben Gordon.</p> <p class="News">On the opening day of training camp, Skiles suggested the fourth-year shooting guard had one of the greatest summers of work Skiles had ever seen.</p> <p class="News">That's quite a statement, considering Gordon was already known as an extremely hard worker.</p> <p class="News">"To just come in the gym and individually work out gets old -- no matter how much you love the game," Skiles said Wednesday at the Berto Center. "I had no problem doing it. I loved to be in the gym by myself. But it's hard to stay with that.</p> <p class="News">"I wouldn't even attempt to guess how many balls he shot this summer. Ben comes in here and he's running. He's got a couple guys who put him through drill work. Our guys work with him. He's always getting his lifts in. He's doing everything he can possibly do to make himself a better player. It's impressive."</p> <p class="News">Gordon decided to cut back on weightlifting this summer and work twice a day on basketball skills. He usually brought along personal assistant/workout partner Imran John, a friend from Mt. Vernon, N.Y., to help out.</p> <p class="News">"In that aspect, I got a lot more done than any other summer, probably," said Gordon, who also found time to make appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and CNBC's "Power Lunch."</p> <p class="News">Skiles also recalled looking out of his office window this summer and watching Gordon practice "degree-of-difficulty" shots. Gordon prides himself in being able to score when a game's on the line, but it can be a challenge because he's relatively small at 6-feet-2.</p> <p class="News">"Ultimately, what you want to have is guys who don't leave anything on the table," Skiles said. "They are doing everything they can do to be a better player. He's certainly doing that."</div></p> <p class="News">http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=50484&src=150</p>
Great to hear. But i also hope hes working on his dribble and pass being skiles would like too see Gordon play more PG</p>
