Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon
Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in San Jose, California, Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School where he led his team to two state championships and was named California Mr. Basketball in his junior and senior years. Gordon then played one year of college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats, during which they won the Pac-12 regular season title and reached the Elite Eight of the 2014 NCAA tournament.
Gordon was selected by the Orlando Magic as the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Gordon has twice been a runner-up in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, losing a close matchup to Zach LaVine in 2016 and Derrick Jones Jr. in 2020. After being traded to the Nuggets in 2021, Gordon won his first NBA championship in 2023.
Early life
Gordon was born in San Jose, California, to former San Diego State basketball player Ed Gordon and Shelly Davis Gordon. Gordon has claimed that his paternal great-great grandfather was a Osage Indian. His father is black and his mother is white. After going undrafted by the NBA, Gordon's father tried out as a tight end for the National Football League's New England Patriots with no prior football experience. After being cut in the preseason, he played a year of pro basketball in Mexico. Gordon's older brother, Drew, also became a pro basketball player while his older sister, Elise, played collegiately for the Harvard women's basketball team.
Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. As a freshman in 2009–10, Gordon started in 28 of 41 games and averaged 11.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He also competed on the school's track and field team as a thrower and played summer basketball for the Oakland Soldiers.
As a sophomore in 2010–11, Gordon helped his team win the CIF Division II title which was Mitty's first state title in men's basketball. Mitty finished with a 32–2 record with Gordon playing all 34 games, averaging 16.4 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. In the 2011 title game, Gordon scored 17 points and broke the state championship record by gathering 21 rebounds.
As a junior in 2011–12, Gordon led his team to their second CIF Division II state title after defeating La Costa Canyon 78-57 in the finals. Gordon finished the game with 33 points and 20 rebounds. For the season, Gordon averaged 22.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game and was chosen as the California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year.
As a senior in 2012–13, Gordon averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game and lead Archbishop Mitty to a 28–6 record. With this record, Archbishop Mitty reached the CIF Open Division finals where they lost against Mater Dei High School 50-45 with Gordon finishing the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds. Gordon was again chosen as the California Mr. Basketball Player of the year during his senior year.
Gordon committed to the University of Arizona on April 2, 2013, announcing his decision in a news conference before the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game. After a 24-point, 8-rebound performance leading the West to a 110–99 victory, Gordon was named the game's MVP.
On January 17, 2020, Archbishop Mitty retired Gordon's number 32.
College career
Gordon made his college debut for the Arizona Wildcats on November 8, 2013 in a 73-62 win against Cal Poly in which he recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks while seeing 33 minutes of play. On February 22, 2014, Gordon scored a season-high, and game-high, 23 points in a win against Colorado scoring 21 points in the second half. On March 2, 2014, Gordon led his team to a Pac-12 regular season title after a 79-66 victory over Stanford where he scored 19 points and achieved a career-high 15 rebounds. On March 8, 2014, in the final game of the regular season, Gordon contributed 21 points in a 64-47 win against Oregon finishing the season with a 28-3 record. on March 13, 2014, during the 2014 Pac-12 tournament, Arizona defeated Utah in the quarterfinals 71-39 with Gordon scoring 11 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. On March 14, 2014, Gordon led his team to a 63-43 semifinal victory against Colorado during which Gordon scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Arizona ultimately lost in the finals of the tournament to UCLA 71-75 with Gordon scoring 11 points.
In the 2014 NCAA tournament Gordon scored 16 points in a 68-59 victory over Weber State Arizona advanced to the Sweet 16 after defeating Gonzaga 84-61 with Gordon adding 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Gordon scored 15 points in his team's 70-64 win against San Diego State before ultimately dropping out of the tournament in a close loss (63-64) to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Gordon scored 8 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.
On February 13, 2014, Gordon was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year. He was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, as well as earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 All-Freshman team honors. Gordon finished his freshman year with a record-breaking 303 rebounds and on April 15, 2014, he declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.
Professional career
Orlando Magic (2014–2021)
2014–15 season
On June 26, 2014, Gordon was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. On July 2, he signed with the Magic and joined them for the 2014 NBA Summer League. After appearing in the first 11 games of the 2014–15 season, Gordon was ruled out indefinitely on November 16 after he fractured a bone in his left foot in the Magic's loss to the Washington Wizards the night before. He returned to action on January 18, 2015 against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing 32 games. On April 4, he recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a 97–90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
2015–16 season
In July 2015, Gordon re-joined the Magic for the 2015 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks in three games. On November 4, 2015, he scored a career-high 19 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets. On January 31, 2016, he tied his career high of 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 119–114 win over the Boston Celtics. He went on to record 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds the following night against the San Antonio Spurs. During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon was the runner-up to Zach LaVine in the Slam Dunk Contest. Their battle through two tie-breakers in the final round drew comparisons to the showdown between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in 1988. Gordon utilised Stuff the Magic Dragon, his team's 6½-ft tall mascot, in his dunks; his final dunk involved him jumping over Stuff while passing the ball under both legs. On February 25, he had another 19-point outing in a 130–114 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Three days later, he set a new career high with 22 points in a 130–116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On April 13, in the Magic's season finale, Gordon tied his career high of 22 points in a 117–103 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
2016–17 season
On December 14, 2016, Gordon scored a career-high 33 points in a 113–108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. On February 18, 2017, he participated in his second consecutive Slam Dunk Contest, but failed to make it past the first round. On March 31, 2017, he scored 20 of his 32 points in the first half of the Magic's 117–116 loss to the Boston Celtics. He also had 16 rebounds in the game. In the Magic's season finale on April 12, Gordon had 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 113–109 win over the Detroit Pistons.
2017–18 season
On October 24, 2017, Gordon scored a career-high 41 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining, to lift the Magic to a 125–121 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On November 29, 2017, he had 40 points and 15 rebounds to help Orlando end a nine-game losing streak with a 121–108 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On December 30, 2017, he had a 39-point effort in a 117–111 loss to the Miami Heat. Gordon missed nine games in February, including the All-Star Slam Dunk contest, with a strained left hip flexor. On March 24, 2018, he had 29 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in a 105–99 win over the Phoenix Suns.
2018–19 season
On July 6, 2018, Gordon re-signed with the Magic. In the Magic's season opener on October 17, Gordon had 26 points and 16 rebounds in a 104–101 win over the Miami Heat. On November 18, he scored 20 of his 31 points in the first quarter of the Magic's 131–117 win over the New York Knicks. On January 2, 2019, Gordon had a then career-high nine assists in a 112–84 win over the Chicago Bulls. Thanks to a 42–40 record, the Magic qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2012 and faced the Toronto Raptors during their first round series. On April 13, 2019, Gordon made his playoff debut, recording ten points, ten rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 104–101 Game 1 win. The Magic ended up losing the series in five games, as the Raptors went on to win the NBA Finals.
2019–20 season
On December 4, 2019, Gordon scored a season-high 32 points, alongside five rebounds and five assists, in a 128–114 win over the Phoenix Suns. Gordon was runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest to Derrick Jones Jr. during the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend. They both had perfect scores in their first two dunks in the second round, forcing an overtime round. After they both earned perfect scores on their initial dunks, Jones won by scoring a 48 after taking off just past the free throw line to complete a windmill dunk; Gordon received a 47 after dunking over Tacko Fall. On February 28, Gordon recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in a 136–125 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite the Magic qualifying for the playoffs for a second straight season, Gordon did not play in the team's first round series due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the NBA Bubble. The Magic were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
2020–21 season
On March 19, 2021, Gordon posted a season-high 38 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a 121–113 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, ending the Magics' nine-game losing streak and stopping the Nets' winning streak at six games. In his efforts, Gordon knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers. On March 22, it was reported that Gordon had requested a trade from the Magic.
Denver Nuggets (2021–present)
On March 25, 2021, Gordon and Gary Clark were traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, R. J. Hampton and a future first-round pick. Gordon had played and started in 25 games and was averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 29 minutes of action while shooting 37.5% from three-point range with the Magic for the season. On March 28, he made his Nuggets debut in a 126–102 win against the Atlanta Hawks, logging 13 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes of action. The Nuggets qualified for the playoffs, but they lost in four games to the Phoenix Suns during the Western Conference Semifinals.
On January 11, 2022, Gordon scored a season-high 30 points, alongside 12 rebounds, in a 85–87 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. During the first round of the playoffs, the Nuggets lost in five games to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors.
During the 2022–23 season, Gordon was discussed as a potential NBA All-Star selection. However, he ultimately wasn't selected. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Gordon scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 3-of-4 from three, 2-of-2 from the free throw line in a 125–107 win over the Phoenix Suns. In Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Gordon scored a playoff career-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a 108–95 victory over the Miami Heat. The Nuggets went on to win 94–89 in Game 5 to make Gordon an NBA champion. Just hours after the victory, Gordon was seen celebrating with fans in the streets of downtown Denver, just miles away from Ball Arena and walked with many for several blocks.
National team career
Gordon led Team USA to the 2011 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship gold medal, with team-highs of 17.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. He went on to earn MVP honors, while leading the United States to a gold medal at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, in Prague, where he averaged team highs of 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, in addition to shooting 61.2 percent from the field. He was also named to the 2011–12 USA Developmental National Team, and participated at the 2010 USA Basketball Developmental National Team mini-camp.
Off the court
In 2016, Gordon was appointed president of athlete acquisition for Lucid, a sports psychology app developed by mental skills coach Graham Betchart.
In 2020, Gordon signed a partnership agreement with Chinese sports brand 361 Degrees. The same year, Gordon donated to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools of Florida. The goal of the Fund was to help children who were adversely affected by school districts canceling classes during the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2018, Gordon made his acting debut as Casper in Uncle Drew. In 2020 he released a single "Pull Up" with rap artist Moe.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 47 || 8 || 17.0 || .447 || .271 || .721 || 3.6 || .7 || .4 || .5 || 5.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 78 || 37 || 23.9 || .473 || .296 || .668 || 6.5 || 1.6 || .8 || .7 || 9.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 80 || 72 || 28.7 || .454 || .288 || .719 || 5.1 || 1.9 || .8 || .5 || 12.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 58 || 57 || 32.9 || .434 || .336 || .698 || 7.9 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .8 || 17.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 78 || 78 || 33.8 || .449 || .349 || .731 || 7.4 || 3.7 || .7 || .7 || 16.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 62 || 62 || 32.5 || .437 || .308 || .674 || 7.7 || 3.7 || .8 || .6 || 14.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 25 || 25 || 29.4 || .437 || .375 || .629 || 6.6 || 4.2 || .6 || .8 || 14.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 25 || 25 || 25.9 || .500 || .266 || .705 || 4.7 || 2.2 || .7 || .6 || 10.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 75 || 75 || 31.7 || .520 || .335 || .743 || 5.9 || 2.5 || .6 || .6 || 15.0
|-
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"|†
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 67 || 67 || 30.3 || .563 || .345 || .608 || 6.6 || 3.0 || .8 || .8 || 16.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 596 || 507 || 29.1 || .472 || .325 || .687 || 6.3 || 2.5 || .7 || .6 || 13.4
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2019
| style="text-align:left;"|Orlando
| 5 || 5 || 32.8 || .468 || .400 || .526 || 7.2 || 3.6 || 1.2 || .2 || 15.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2021
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 10 || 10 || 29.9 || .434 || .391 || .640 || 5.4 || 2.0 || .5 || .3 || 11.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2022
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 5 || 5 || 32.0 || .426 || .200 || .714 || 7.2 || 2.6 || .4 || 1.2 || 13.8
|-
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"|2023†
| style="text-align:left;"|Denver
| 20 || 20 || 35.6 || .518 || .391 || .652 || 6.0 || 2.6 || .6 || .7 || 13.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 40 || 40 || 33.4 || .478 || .365 || .645 || 6.2 || 2.6 || .6 || .6 || 13.0
College
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2013–14
| style="text-align:left;"|Arizona
| 38 || 38 || 31.2 || .495 || .356 || .422 || 8.0 || 2.0 || .9 || 1.0 || 12.4
Awards and honors
High school
2013: USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
2013: FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP
2013: McDonald's All-American Game MVP
Jordan Brand All-American (2013)
2× California Mr. Basketball (2012, 2013)
2× CIF State champion (2011, 2012)
2× CIF State Division II champion (2011, 2012)
3× CIF Northern California champion (2011–2013)
CIF Northern California Open Division champion (2013)
2× CIF Northern California Division II champion (2011, 2012)
4× CIF CCS champion (2010–2013)
CIF CCS Open Division champion (2013)
3× CIF CCS Division II champion (2010–2012)
MaxPreps.com All-American First Team (2013)
San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year (2013)
San Jose Mercury News First Team (2013)
Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area CCS Player of the Year (2013)
3× WCAL champion (2011–2013)
3× Ed Fennelly WCAL Player of the Year Award (2011–2013)
3× All-WCAL First Team (2011–2013)
All-WCAL Second Team (2010)
College
Pac-12 Freshman Student-Athlete of the Year (2014)
Pac-12 All-Tournament Team (2014)
AP Honorable Mention (2014)
NCAA tournament's West Regional All-Tournament Team (2014)
Third team All-America – Sporting News (2014)
USBWA All-District Team (2014)
NABC All-District Second Team (2014)
All-Pac-12 First Team (2014)
Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2014)
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (2014)
Pac-12 All-Rookie First Team (2014)
References
External links
Arizona Wildcats bio
1995 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
American people who self-identify as being of Osage descent
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players
Basketball players from San Jose, California
Denver Nuggets players
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Orlando Magic draft picks
Orlando Magic players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Power forwards (basketball)
Small forwards
Archbishop Mitty High School alumni