The measure of a man is not how many times he succeeds but how many times he is able to rebound from life’s challenges.  Former NBA star Jonathan Bender has proven himself to be a man of high caliber after turning what could have been deemed the end of a dream into the realization of a new mission in life. 

Following his retirement in Spring 2006 due to a worsening knee injury, Jonathan decided to focus on rebuilding New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. 

As part of his newfound mission to help others, Jonathan formed Blue Package Management, LLC to purchase and renovate properties in the New Orleans area to rent to low-income and working class residents.

In addition, the Jonathan Bender Foundation aims to empower youth by addressing their education, health, and social needs through various programs. 

Jonathan found time for Sixshot amidst his hectic schedule to discuss his inspiration for helping to rebuild New Orleans, what he believes is the key to addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis, his reality series Brand New Orleans, how his retirement proved to be a blessing in disguise, and more.   

You do an enormous amount of work helping to rebuild New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.  What inspir ed you to get involved?

I live there so I saw firsthand what happened down here in New Orleans.  We had to vacate and move to Houston for a while.  When I came back and saw that everything was moving slowly I started with one property and worked it as a rental.  It gained momentum and I formed my whole management company.  I got contractors and started turning them out and making them look nicer and nicer.  I take pride in the way my homes are put together.  Everybody that comes and sees the house they love it right.  I’m up to forty units and still moving—in only a six month period.

What was the immediate emotional affect of Hurricane Katrina on you and your family?

I had to figure out a way to do something.  Every time we have a crisis I feel like I can be Superman in some type of way.  I had to figure out a way to help everybody.  During the hurricane I went up to Indiana and got on TV.  I told them my situation and everybody came by and brought food out on a Saturday morning to the mall.  We brought eighteen wheelers down and passed the food out in Mississippi.  It was real nice.

You purchase and renovate properties in New Orleans to rent to low-income and working class residents.  There’s an intense issue across the nation concerning affordable housing.  What do you think needs to be done to better address this issue?

A lot of people don’t like to deal with low-income people because they say they don’t keep the property up, but I think differently.  If you make the property nice you’re gonna attract a nice person if they’re low income or whatever.  I think we should start some type of program with the banks.  What I’m trying to do right now with my foundation is start these home ownership programs where we teach the people that used to live in the project buildings about being a good homeowner.  These types of programs and financial programs will put those people on the next level where they need to be.

A lot of the work that you’re doing is because the federal and even the local government isn't able to or is unwilling to address these issues.  We all know the famous quote that Kanye West said during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”  Is that something that you feel is representative of the state of New Orleans?

I’m almost glad that they tore down these project buildings.  They had a big thing about tearing down the project buildings but it really makes people have to step up.  If you’re low income you don’t want to get assistance your whole life—it shouldn’t be like that.  People like me and others that have a name that can start a foundation need to get together and start making these programs.  I'm in the midst of trying to get something together right now that can teach these people and bring them up to that next level. 

You’re also hard at work on the reality series, Brand New Orleans, which follows your work to rebuild the area.  What’s the status of that project as of now?

I’m shopping it and hopefully we'll get some interest and somebody will pick it up.  I think it’ll be great to actually keep an eye on New Orleans.  I think it would be good to see how I’m building these houses; and to see one street with no one living on it go to being full by the time I’m finished.

One of the goals of the Jonathan Bender foundation is to improve the self-esteem and self-confidence of youth.  Is that something that you have dealt with or that you currently deal with?

When I was small I had a mentor—my brother.  My father died young.  If I didn’t have my brother and good people around me I wouldn’t be where I am today.  I think mentoring is real strong at a young age.  If you have someone that can take the time and take an interest in what a kid is doing; it can be a difference between life and death for that kid, or the difference between failure and success. 

When you were forced to announce your retirement from the NBA in 2006 due to a worsening knee injury, did you become more motivated to get involved in projects that give back to the community?

When I stopped it was like I wasn’t gonna stop.  I’m gonna keep going—I’m gonna go even faster.  I’m a natural born hustler.  I got this certain thing about me that I have to work.  I got to have something going on.  It doesn’t take a long time to stop by a bunch of kids and give them some words of inspiration.  When I was young and somebody said something good it would lighten up my whole month.  It gave me a new sense of hope.

What are some of the programs involved with the foundation?

We’re just getting started.  Right now we adopted a school in New Orleans and we’re trying to restore the school.  So we’re putting pressure on the school board to start getting that school together.  We’re looking to implement an after school program that can involve literature and having these kids see different professions; so they can get a passion for themselves at an early age.

Often many celebrities that get involved in causes choose ones that speak to them personally.  Is there an experience that you would say has contributed to your impetus to give back?

I would say that when I stopped playing ball a lot of eyes got off of me.  A lot of people stopped calling, a lot of things stopped happening, and that’s just our fame based culture.  When people see somebody famous they want to be with you, but when you go in the dark a lot of people fall off.  That actually motivated me to want to get with these young people and let them know that it’s a cruel world.  You got to have something that’s concrete that you can do yourself.  You can break a leg in basketball, you can break a leg in football, but if you break your leg in the real estate game you’re still good.  That’s something that needs to be on the back burner for these cats going into the NBA and the NFL. 

For more information please visit:
http://www.thejonathanbenderfoundation.com/