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Aaron Gordon
Gordon with the Orlando Magic in 2019
No. 50 – Denver Nuggets
PositionPower forward / Small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1995-09-16) September 16, 1995 (age 29)
San Jose, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolArchbishop Mitty
(San Jose, California)
CollegeArizona (2013–2014)
NBA draft2014: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–2021Orlando Magic
2021–presentDenver Nuggets
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA World U19 Cup
Gold medal – first place 2013 Czech Republic U.S. National team

Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995)[1] is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the University of Arizona before being selected by the Magic with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Gordon has gained notoriety as one of the all-time greatest competitors in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest; In 2016, he lost a close matchup to Zach LaVine, and in 2020 he narrowly lost to Derrick Jones Jr.[2]

High school career

Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California and started on the varsity basketball team for four years, winning two Division II state basketball championships in his sophomore and junior seasons. He led Mitty to its third straight state title game in his senior year, but his team lost in the inaugural Open Division final.

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 Mitty's first state title in men's basketball. His team also captured the WCAL regular season and playoff crowns, CCS Division II title and Nor-Cal championship. They finished with a 32–2 record and closed the season on a 20–0 winning streak. He started in all 34 games and averaged 16.4 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. He scored 17 points and hauled in a state championship record 21 rebounds in the 2011 title game.

As a junior in 2011–12, Gordon averaged 22.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.[3] In the state basketball tournament, he averaged 27.0 points per game before finding out he had been playing with mononucleosis. He was chosen as the California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year. The last junior to be Mr. Basketball in California was Tyson Chandler in 2000, and before him, Jason Kidd in 1991.[3]

Gordon completing an Alley oop from Aaron Harrison at the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

As a senior in 2012–13, Gordon averaged 21.6 points, a school-record 15.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game in leading Archbishop Mitty to a 28–6 record and a runner-up finish in the CIF Open Division.[4]

Gordon committed to the University of Arizona on April 2, 2013, announcing his decision in a press conference before the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game.[5] After a 24-point, 8-rebound performance leading the West to a 110–99 victory, Gordon was named the game's MVP.[6]

On January 17, 2020, Archbishop Mitty retired Gordon's number 32.[7]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Aaron Gordon
F 		San Jose, CA Archbishop Mitty High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Apr 2, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #4   Rivals: #3  ESPN: #4
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2013 Arizona Basketball Commits". Scout.com.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com.
  • "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

College career

At Arizona, on February 13, 2014, Gordon was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year.[8] He was named to the All-Pac-12 first team,[9] as well as earning Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Year and Pac-12 All-Freshman team honors.

On April 15, 2014, Gordon declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.[10]

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.[11] On July 2, he signed with the Magic and joined them for the 2014 NBA Summer League.[12] 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.[13] He returned to action on January 18, 2015 against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing 32 games.[14] 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.[15][16]

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.[17] On November 4, 2015, he scored a career-high 19 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets.[18] 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.[19] He went on to record 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds the following night against the San Antonio Spurs.[20] 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.[21] On February 25, he had another 19-point outing in a 130–114 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[22] Three days later, he set a new career high with 22 points in a 130–116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[23] 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.[24]

2016–17 season

Gordon with the Magic in March 2017

On December 14, 2016, Gordon scored a career-high 33 points in a 113–108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]

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.[28] 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.[29] On December 30, 2017, he had a 39-point effort in a 117–111 loss to the Miami Heat.[30] Gordon missed nine games in February, including the All-Star Slam Dunk contest, with a strained left hip flexor.[31] 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.[32]

2018–19 season

On July 6, 2018, Gordon re-signed with the Magic.[33] 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.[34] 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.[35] On January 2, 2019, he had a then career-high nine assists in a 112–84 win over the Chicago Bulls.[36]

2019–20 season

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 7-foot-5-inch (2.26 m) Tacko Fall.[37] 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.[38]

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.[39][40] On March 22, it was reported that Gordon had requested a trade from the Magic.[41]

Denver Nuggets (2021–present)

On March 25, 2021, Gordon and Gary Clark were traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guards Gary Harris and R. J. Hampton and a future first round pick.[42] 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.[43] On March 28, he made his debut in a 126–102 win against the Atlanta Hawks, logging 13 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes of action.[44][45][46]

On January 11, 2022, Gordon recorded his highest scoring game as a Nugget with 30 points, along with 12 rebounds, in a 87–85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[47]

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.[4]

Personal life

Gordon is the son of former San Diego State basketball star Ed Gordon who is African American and Shelly Davis Gordon who is White American.[48][49] Gordon's great-great grandfather, a Native American Osage Indian, was seven feet tall.[50] Gordon's older brother, Drew, is also a professional basketball player. His older sister, Elise, played collegiately for the Harvard women's basketball team from 2010 to 2014. As an eight-year-old, Gordon qualified to compete in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Junior Olympics, but chose instead to play in a basketball tournament.[51]

Gordon is currently the president of athlete acquisition for the sports psychology app, Lucid, introduced to him by his mental skills coach, Graham Betchart.[52]

Gordon made his acting debut as Casper in Uncle Drew, which was released in June 2018.[53]

Gordon released his debut single "Pull Up" ft. Moe on the 7th April 2020.[54]

Media figure and business interests

Endorsements

Gordon signed a partnership agreement with Chinese leading sports brand 361º in 2020. Gordon will serve as the new face of the company's basketball division. The multi-year partnership will include an Aaron Gordon signature shoe and apparel line as well as provide support for Aaron Gordons charitable initiatives and Foundational work.[55]

Philanthropy

Gordon, a co-winner of the 2019 Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment award, recently made a financial contribution to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation for Orange County (Florida) Public Schools in hopes of helping children adversely affected by school districts cancelling classes in wake of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.[56]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Orlando 47 8 17.0 .447 .271 .721 3.6 .7 .4 .5 5.2
2015–16 Orlando 78 37 23.9 .473 .296 .668 6.5 1.6 .8 .7 9.2
2016–17 Orlando 80 72 28.7 .454 .288 .719 5.1 1.9 .8 .5 12.7
2017–18 Orlando 58 57 32.9 .434 .336 .698 7.9 2.3 1.0 .8 17.6
2018–19 Orlando 78 78 33.8 .449 .349 .731 7.4 3.7 .7 .7 16.0
2019–20 Orlando 62 62 32.5 .437 .308 .674 7.7 3.7 .8 .6 14.4
2020–21 Orlando 25 25 29.4 .437 .375 .629 6.6 4.2 .6 .8 14.6
2020–21 Denver 25 25 25.9 .500 .266 .705 4.7 2.2 .7 .6 10.2
2021–22 Denver 75 75 31.7 .520 .335 .743 5.9 2.5 .6 .6 15.0
Career 528 439 28.9 .460 .323 .702 6.3 2.5 .7 .6 13.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019 Orlando 5 5 32.8 .468 .400 .526 7.2 3.6 1.2 .2 15.2
2021 Denver 10 10 29.9 .434 .391 .640 5.4 2.0 .5 .3 11.1
2022 Denver 5 5 32.0 .426 .200 .714 7.2 2.6 .4 1.2 13.8
Career 20 20 31.2 .442 .345 .639 6.3 2.6 .7 .5 12.8

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14 Arizona 38 38 31.2 .495 .356 .422 8.0 2.0 .9 1.0 12.4

Awards and honors

High school
Gordon was MVP of the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.
  • 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 Player of the Year (2014)
  • Pac-12 All-Rookie First Team (2014)

References

  1. ^ "FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men (2011) | FIBA Europe". www.fibaeurope.com.
  2. ^ "Never Mind the Result; Aaron Gordon's 2020 Dunk Contest Performance Greatest Ever". Orlando Magic. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Mr. Basketball 2012: Aaron Gordon". ESPN.com. April 17, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Aaron Gordon - Men's Basketball". University of Arizona Athletics.
  5. ^ Telep, Dave (April 2, 2013). "Aaron Gordon commits to Arizona". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  6. ^ "Aaron Gordon earns MVP at McDonald's All-America game". SI.com. April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  7. ^ Sabedra, Darren (January 17, 2020). "Jersey retirement: Aaron Gordon makes triumphant return to Mitty". The Mercury News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  8. ^ "2013–14 Men's Naismith Trophy Midseason 30". NaismithAwards.com. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "2013–14 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Honors". Pac-12.com. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014.
  10. ^ "Gordon, Johnson declare for NBA Draft". NBA.com. April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  11. ^ Denton, John (June 26, 2014). "Magic Draft Gordon at No. 4; Trade for Payton". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  12. ^ "Magic Sign Gordon and Payton". NBA.com (Press release). Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 2, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  13. ^ Denton, John (November 16, 2014). "Gordon Out Indefinitely After Fracturing Bone in Foot". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  14. ^ "Hot-shooting helps Thunder blow past Magic, 127–99". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 18, 2015. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  15. ^ "Harris, Vucevic lead Magic past Bucks, 97–90". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 4, 2015. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  16. ^ Denton, John (April 5, 2015). "Aaron Gordon Looks Like Man on a Mission to Finish Rookie Season". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  17. ^ Robbins, Josh. "Gordon, Hezonja boosted the Magic's optimism at summer league". orlandosentinel.com.
  18. ^ "Postgame Report: Magic vs. Rockets (11/4/15)". Orlando Magic. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  19. ^ "Postgame Report: Magic vs. Celtics (1/31/16)". Orlando Magic. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  20. ^ "Magic's Aaron Gordon: Career-high in rebounds versus Spurs". CBSSports.com.
  21. ^ "Zach LaVine wins slam dunk contest in battle with Aaron Gordon". ESPN.com. February 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016.
  22. ^ "Curry has 51, hits 3-pointer in record 128th straight game". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  23. ^ "Big Magic start dooms 76ers to eighth straight loss, 130–116". Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  24. ^ "Hornets beat Magic 117–103, will face Miami in 1st round". Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  25. ^ "Magic vs. Clippers: Postgame Report". Orlando Magic.
  26. ^ "Magic vs. Celtics - Game Recap - March 31, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  27. ^ "Pistons vs. Magic - Game Recap - April 12, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  28. ^ "Gordon, Fournier rally Magic to 125-121 win over Nets". ESPN.com. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  29. ^ "Gordon has 40 and 15, Magic beat Thunder to end 9-game skid". ESPN.com. November 29, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  30. ^ "Johnson, Dragic lead Heat comeback in win over Magic". ESPN.com. December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  31. ^ "Burke leads Knicks past Magic to end 8-game losing streak". ESPN.com. February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  32. ^ "Gordon helps Magic hold off Suns 105-99". ESPN.com. March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  33. ^ "Magic Re-Sign Aaron Gordon". NBA.com. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  34. ^ "Bamba, Gordon lead Magic over Heat 104-101". ESPN.com. October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  35. ^ "Gordon, Vucevic lead Magic as Knicks lose 5th straight". ESPN.com. November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  36. ^ "Vucevic leads Magic to 112-84 rout of Bulls". ESPN.com. January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  37. ^ Chiang, Anthony (February 16, 2020). "All-Star Saturday turned into the Heat's night. Inside big nights for Jones Jr. and Adebayo". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  38. ^ "Magic's Aaron Gordon: Posts first career triple-double". www.cbssports.com.
  39. ^ "Big Scoring Performances From Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier Help Magic Beat Nets". Orlando Magic. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  40. ^ "Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 121, Brooklyn Nets 113". Orlando Magic Daily. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  41. ^ NBC Sports (March 22, 2021). "Aaron Gordon Requests Trade from Magic". Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  42. ^ "Denver Nuggets acquire Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark from Orlando Magic". NBA.com. March 25, 2021.
  43. ^ "Magic Acquire R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and First Round Draft Pick From Nuggets". Orlando Magic. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  44. ^ "Familiar faces in new places: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Norman Powell headline list of notable debuts of midseason acquisitions". NBA.com Canada | The official site of the NBA. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  45. ^ "Nuggets' Aaron Gordon: Gets involved right away in debut". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  46. ^ "ATL vs DEN Mar 28, 2021 | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  47. ^ "Clippers rally from 25 down in 2nd half, stun Nuggets 87-85". www.9news.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  48. ^ "Competitive Gordon Family Excels on Court". www.thecrimson.com.
  49. ^ Santana, Marco. "Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon launches computer coding program for school kids". orlandosentinel.com.
  50. ^ Whitley, David. "Magic's new kid sounds ready to grow up". OrlandoSentinel.com.
  51. ^ "O'Neil: Arizona's Gordon handling freshman pressure". ESPN.com. January 22, 2014.
  52. ^ Giles, Matthew (June 23, 2016). "Meet the Sports Psychologist Training the Minds of the NBA's Top Draft Prospects". Vice.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  53. ^ Debruge, Peter (June 19, 2018). "Film Review: 'Uncle Drew'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  54. ^ "Aaron Gordon (Ft. Moe (Rapper)) – Pull Up" – via genius.com.
  55. ^ "Aaron Gordon Officially Signs Deal with 361º". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  56. ^ "Aaron Gordon Donates to Foundation for OCPS' Homeless Education Fund". Orlando Magic. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
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