Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. A native of San Jose, California, Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School, where he led his team to two state championships and earned California Mr. Basketball honors during his junior and senior years. He then spent one year playing college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats, helping them win the Pac-12 regular season title and reach 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. He has been a two-time runner-up in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, narrowly losing to Zach LaVine in 2016 and Derrick Jones Jr. in 2020. After being traded to the Nuggets in 2021, Gordon secured his first NBA championship in 2023.
Early life
Gordon was born in San Jose, California, to Ed Gordon, a former San Diego State basketball player, and Shelly Davis Gordon. He has mentioned that his paternal great-great-grandfather was a 7-foot-tall Osage Indian. His father is Black, and his mother is white. After going undrafted in the NBA, his father tried out for the New England Patriots as a tight end, despite having no prior football experience. After being cut during the preseason, he played professional basketball in Mexico for a year. Gordon’s older brother, Drew, also became a professional basketball player, while his older sister, Elise, played college basketball for Harvard.
Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, where, as a freshman in 2009–10, he started in 28 of 41 games, averaging 11.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He also participated in 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, Mitty’s first state championship in men’s basketball. The team finished with a 32–2 record, with Gordon playing in 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 set a state championship record with 21 rebounds.
In his junior year (2011–12), Gordon led Mitty to their second CIF Division II state title, defeating La Costa Canyon 78–57 in the finals. He posted 33 points and 20 rebounds in the game. For the season, he averaged 22.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game and was named California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year.
During his senior year (2012–13), Gordon averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game, leading Archbishop Mitty to a 28–6 record. They reached the CIF Open Division finals but lost to Mater Dei High School 50–45, with Gordon finishing with 22 points and 20 rebounds. Gordon was again named California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year in his senior season.
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 leading the West team to a 110–99 victory with 24 points and 8 rebounds, he was named the game’s MVP.
On January 17, 2020, Archbishop Mitty retired Gordon’s number 32.
College Recruiting Information
Name: Aaron Gordon
Position: Forward
Hometown: San Jose, CA
High School/College: Archbishop Mitty High School
Height: 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Commitment Date: April 2, 2013
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: There may be discrepancies in height and weight listings across Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN. In these cases, the average measurement was used. 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
Gordon made his college debut for the Arizona Wildcats on November 8, 2013, in a 73–62 victory over Cal Poly, recording 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 33 minutes of play. On February 22, 2014, he scored a season-high and game-high 23 points in a win against Colorado, including 21 points in the second half. On March 2, 2014, Gordon helped lead his team to a Pac-12 regular season title with a 79–66 victory over Stanford, scoring 19 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds. In the final game of the regular season on March 8, 2014, Gordon contributed 21 points in a 64–47 win over Oregon, finishing the season with a 28–3 record.
During the 2014 Pac-12 tournament on March 13, Arizona defeated Utah 71–39 in the quarterfinals, with Gordon contributing 11 points and 7 rebounds. The following day, Gordon led his team to a 63–43 semifinal victory over Colorado, recording 9 points and 9 rebounds. Arizona lost to UCLA 71–75 in the tournament final, with Gordon scoring 11 points.
In the 2014 NCAA tournament, Gordon scored 16 points in a 68–59 win over Weber State. Arizona advanced to the Sweet 16 with an 84–61 victory over Gonzaga, where Gordon contributed 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. He scored 15 points in a 70–64 win over San Diego State, but Arizona’s tournament run ended in a narrow 63–64 loss to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Gordon recorded 8 points and 18 rebounds in the loss.
On February 13, 2014, Gordon was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors, was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and was selected to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Gordon finished his freshman year with a record-breaking 303 rebounds. On April 15, 2014, he declared for the NBA draft, opting to forgo his remaining three years of college eligibility.
Professional career
Orlando Magic (2014–2021)
2014–15 Season
On June 26, 2014, the Orlando Magic selected Gordon with the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft. He signed with the team on July 2 and participated in the 2014 NBA Summer League. After playing in the first 11 games of the 2014–15 season, Gordon was sidelined indefinitely on November 16 due to a fractured bone in his left foot sustained during a loss to the Washington Wizards the night before. He returned to the court on January 18, 2015, against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing 32 games. On April 4, he posted his first career double-double, recording 10 points and 12 rebounds in a 97–90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
2015–16 Season
Gordon rejoined the Magic for the 2015 NBA Summer League in July 2015, 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 matched his career high with 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 119–114 victory over the Boston Celtics. The following night, he recorded 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs. During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon was the runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest, in a memorable competition against Zach LaVine. On February 25, he had another 19-point performance 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 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 set 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 did not make it past the first round. On March 31, 2017, he scored 20 of his 32 points in the first half of a 117–116 loss to the Boston Celtics, also pulling down 16 rebounds. In the season finale on April 12, Gordon posted 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 a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, leading the Magic to a 125–121 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On November 29, 2017, he tallied 40 points and 15 rebounds to help Orlando snap a nine-game losing streak with a 121–108 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On December 30, 2017, he scored 39 points in a 117–111 loss to the Miami Heat. Gordon missed nine games in February, including the Slam Dunk contest, due to a strained left hip flexor. On March 24, 2018, he posted 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 season opener on October 17, he contributed 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 a 131–117 win over the New York Knicks. On January 2, 2019, Gordon posted a then career-high nine assists in a 112–84 win over the Chicago Bulls. The Magic, with a 42–40 record, made the playoffs for the first time since 2012, facing the Toronto Raptors in the first round. On April 13, 2019, Gordon made his playoff debut, recording 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a 104–101 Game 1 win. However, the Magic were eliminated in five games, as the Raptors advanced to win the NBA Finals.
2019–20 Season
On December 4, 2019, Gordon scored a season-high 32 points, adding five rebounds and five assists, in a 128–114 victory over the Phoenix Suns. During the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon was the runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest to Derrick Jones Jr. after both competitors had perfect scores in the second round. In the overtime round, Jones earned a 48 for a dunk over the free-throw line, while Gordon received a 47 for dunking over the 7-foot-5-inch (2.26 m) 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 making the playoffs again, Gordon did not play in the first-round series due to a hamstring injury sustained in the NBA Bubble. The Magic were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
2020–21 Season
On March 19, 2021, Gordon posted a season-high 38 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a 121–113 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, snapping the Magic’s nine-game losing streak and halting the Nets’ six-game winning streak. Gordon also set a career-high by making seven 3-pointers. On March 22, reports emerged 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. At the time of the trade, Gordon had started 25 games for the Magic, averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 29 minutes per game, while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc. He made his debut for the Nuggets on March 28, 2021, contributing 13 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes during a 126–102 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Nuggets made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Phoenix Suns in a 4–0 series sweep.
On January 11, 2022, Gordon scored a season-high 30 points, along with 12 rebounds, in a narrow 85–87 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. In the first round of the playoffs that year, the Nuggets lost in five games to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.
During the 2022–23 season, Gordon was mentioned as a potential NBA All-Star, though he was ultimately not selected. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, he had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, in a 125–107 victory over the Phoenix Suns. In Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Gordon set a playoff career-high with 27 points, shooting 11-of-15, in a 108–95 win over the Miami Heat. The Nuggets would go on to win Game 5, 94–89, clinching the NBA Championship. Gordon celebrated the victory by joining fans in downtown Denver, walking alongside them for several blocks.
In the following season, Gordon missed several games after being bitten on the face and hands by a dog. During the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, he set new playoff career-highs with 29 points and 15 rebounds in a 112–105 win. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gordon recorded 27 points on 11-of-12 shooting, just shy of his playoff career-high, along with six rebounds and six assists in a win. Despite these strong performances, the Nuggets were eliminated by the Timberwolves in a seven-game series.
Before the 2024–25 season, Gordon changed his jersey number from 50 to 32 in honor of his late older brother, Drew Gordon, who had worn No. 32 before his passing in May 2024. On October 21, 2024, Gordon and the Nuggets agreed to a four-year, $133 million contract extension.
National Team Career
Gordon played a key role in leading Team USA to the gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship, posting team-high averages of 17.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. He earned MVP honors at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Prague, where he again led the team with averages of 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, shooting 61.2% from the field. Additionally, Gordon was named to the 2011–12 USA Developmental National Team and participated in 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 created by mental skills coach Graham Betchart.
In 2020, he signed a partnership agreement with the Chinese sports brand 361 Degrees and also donated to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, aimed at supporting children impacted by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gordon made his acting debut in 2018 as the character Casper in the film Uncle Drew. In 2020, he released a single titled “Pull Up” featuring rapper Moe.