Former NBA player Ben Gordon didn’t punch his son in the face — and was targeted by a “Karen” who recognized him as a celebrity, his fuming ex-girlfriend claims.
The “Karen” intervened after recognizing Gordon and sparked the former player’s arrest at LaGuardia Airport on Monday for allegedly striking his 10-year-old son, Ashley Banks told The Post.
Gordon didn’t hurt the kid — but the Karen certainly did, Banks said.
“The problem is the child was traumatized,” said Banks, who dated Gordon from 2016 to 2020.
“The child saw his father being arrested, taken away,” Banks said. “He was waiting in custody until his aunt picked him up. So that is the worst part of it, you know, and so we want to really protect him.”
The child was taken to Long Island Jewish Children’s Hospital for evaluation. The child Gordon allegedly struck had an order of protection out against his father — but Banks said the child could suffer from lifelong scars.
“We were just disappointed because you keep seeing this pattern with black people,” Banks said. “And it’s sad, but like a child is traumatized from it. How do you calm a 10-year-old? He’s probably going to be scared of the police. Because he’s little.”
Ben Gordon and his son Elijah. Iridium Lab
Former NBA player Ben Gordon allegedly struck his son at LaGuardia Airport. Twitter/Ben Gordon
Witnesses told cops Gordon whacked his son with a “closed fist” as they waited for a flight to Chicago, the complaint said.
Gordon was barred from getting on the plane and allegedly resisted arrest by locking his arms. Two Port Authority cops were injured in the arrest, but the extent of their injuries isn’t yet known.
Banks suspects the “Karen” recognized the former Chicago Bulls player and decided to “take advantage” of the situation, something she said she’s noticed others do to Gordon in the past.
Ashley Banks dated Gordon from 2016 to 2020. Ashley Banks
Ben Gordon during an NBA game during the 2008-09 season. NBAE via Getty Images
Gordon has a troubling history of aggressive behavior and has admitted to suffering from mental health issues. And while Banks told the DailyMail she once got a restraining order against the retired basketball player, she doesn’t believe he is capable of laying his hands on his children.
“I spoke with a child’s mother and like, she’s like, ‘he would absolutely never do that.’ The child’s fine. Safe. Was not hit at all,” Banks told The Post.
“It was completely fabricated. It’s really, really sad. Because when you put something out like that, especially on athletes and celebrities, it doesn’t go away.”