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.jpg) Gordon with theOrlando Magic in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 32 – Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Power forward /small forward | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-09-16)September 16, 1995 (age 30) San Jose, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Arizona (2013–2014) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2014: 1st round, 4th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2014–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2014–2021 | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995)[1] is an American professionalbasketball player for theDenver Nuggets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Born inSan Jose, California, Gordon attendedArchbishop Mitty High School where he led his team to two state championships and was namedCalifornia Mr. Basketball in his junior and senior years.[2] Gordon then played one year ofcollege basketball with theArizona Wildcats, during which they won thePac-12 regular season title and reached theElite Eight of the2014 NCAA tournament.
Gordon was selected by theOrlando Magic as the fourth overall pick in the2014 NBA draft. Gordon has twice been a runner-up in theNBA Slam Dunk Contest, losing a close matchup toZach LaVine in 2016 andDerrick Jones Jr. in 2020.[3] After being traded to the Nuggets in 2021, Gordon won his firstNBA championship in2023.
Gordon was born inSan Jose, California, to formerSan Diego State basketball player Ed Gordon and Shelly Davis Gordon.[4] Gordon has claimed that his paternal great-great-grandfather was a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m)Osage Indian.[5][6] His father is black and his mother is white.[7] After going undrafted by the NBA, Gordon's father tried out as atight end for theNational Football League'sNew England Patriots with no priorfootball experience.[5][8][9] After being cut in the preseason,[10] he played a year of pro basketball in Mexico.[5] Gordon's older brother,Drew, also became a pro basketball player while his older sister, Elise, played collegiately for theHarvard women's basketball team.[11]
Gordon attendedArchbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.[12] 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.[13] He also competed on the school's track and field team as a thrower and played summer basketball for the Oakland Soldiers.[14][15]
As a sophomore in 2010–11, Gordon helped his team win the CIF Division II title[16] which was Mitty's first state title in boy's basketball.[13] 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.[13]
As a junior in 2011–12, Gordon led his team to their second CIF Division II state title after defeatingLa 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 theCalifornia Mr. Basketball Player of the Year.[17]
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.[12] With this record, Archbishop Mitty reached the CIF Open Division finals where they lost againstMater Dei High School 50–45 with Gordon finishing the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds.[18] Gordon was again chosen as the California Mr. Basketball Player of the year during his senior year.[13]
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Gordon committed to theUniversity of Arizona on April 2, 2013, announcing his decision in a news conference before the 2013McDonald's All-American Game.[19] After a 24-point, 8-rebound performance leading the West to a 110–99 victory, Gordon was named the game's MVP.[20]
On January 17, 2020, Archbishop Mitty retired Gordon's number 32.[16]
| Name | Hometown | School | 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 | |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: (96) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: #4 Rivals: #3 ESPN: #4 | ||||||
Sources:
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Gordon made his college debut for the Arizona Wildcats on November 8, 2013, in a 73–62 win againstCal Poly in which he recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks while seeing 33 minutes of play.[21] On February 22, 2014, Gordon scored a season-high, and game-high, 23 points in a win againstColorado scoring 21 points in the second half.[22] On March 2, 2014, Gordon led his team to aPac-12 regular season title after a 79–66 victory overStanford where he scored 19 points and achieved a career-high 15 rebounds.[23] On March 8, 2014, in the final game of the regular season, Gordon contributed 21 points in a 64–47 win againstOregon finishing the season with a 28–3 record.[24] on March 13, 2014, during the2014 Pac-12 tournament, Arizona defeatedUtah in the quarterfinals 71–39 with Gordon scoring 11 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.[25] 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.[26] Arizona ultimately lost in the finals of the tournament toUCLA 71–75 with Gordon scoring 11 points.[27]
In the2014 NCAA tournament Gordon scored 16 points in a 68–59 victory overWeber State[28] Arizona advanced to theSweet 16 after defeatingGonzaga 84–61 with Gordon adding 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.[29] Gordon scored 15 points in his team's 70–64 win against San Diego State[30] before ultimately dropping out of the tournament in a close loss (63–64) toWisconsin in theElite Eight. Gordon scored 8 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.[31]
On February 13, 2014, Gordon was named one of the 30 finalists for theNaismith College Player of the Year.[32] He was named to theAll-Pac-12 first team,[33] as well as earningPac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 All-Freshman team honors.[34] 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.[34]
On June 26, 2014, Gordon was selected with the fourth overall pick in the2014 NBA draft by theOrlando Magic.[35] On July 2, he signed with the Magic and joined them for the2014 NBA Summer League.[36] 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 theWashington Wizards the night before.[37] He returned to action on January 18, 2015, against theOklahoma City Thunder after missing 32 games.[38] On April 4, he recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a 97–90 win over theMilwaukee Bucks.[39][40]
In July 2015, Gordon re-joined the Magic for the2015 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.[41] On November 4, 2015, he scored a then career-high 19 points in a loss to theHouston Rockets.[42] On January 31, 2016, he tied his then career high of 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 119–114 win over theBoston Celtics.[43] He went on to record 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds the following night against theSan Antonio Spurs.[44] During the2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon was the runner-up toZach LaVine in theSlam Dunk Contest. Their battle through two tie-breakers in the final round drew comparisons to the showdown betweenMichael Jordan andDominique Wilkins in 1988. Gordon utilisedStuff 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.[45] On February 25, he had another 19-point outing in a 130–114 loss to theGolden State Warriors.[46] Three days later, he set a then career high with 22 points in a 130–116 win over thePhiladelphia 76ers.[47] On April 13, in the Magic's season finale, Gordon tied his then career high of 22 points in a 117–103 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.[48]
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On December 14, 2016, Gordon scored a then career-high 33 points in a 113–108 loss to theLos Angeles Clippers.[49] 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 theBoston Celtics. He also had 16 rebounds in the game.[50] In the Magic's season finale on April 12, Gordon had 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 113–109 win over theDetroit Pistons.[51]
On October 24, 2017, Gordon scored a then career-high 41 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining, to lift the Magic to a 125–121 win over theBrooklyn Nets.[52] 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 theOklahoma City Thunder.[53] On December 30, 2017, he had a 39-point effort in a 117–111 loss to theMiami Heat.[54] Gordon missed nine games in February, including the All-Star Slam Dunk contest, with a strained left hip flexor.[55] On March 24, 2018, he had 29 points, 11 rebounds and a then career-high eight assists in a 105–99 win over thePhoenix Suns.[56]
On July 6, 2018, Gordon re-signed with the Magic.[57] In the Magic's season opener on October 17, Gordon had 26 points and 16 rebounds in a 104–101 win over theMiami Heat.[58] On November 18, he scored 20 of his 31 points in the first quarter of the Magic's 131–117 win over theNew York Knicks.[59] On January 2, 2019, Gordon had a then career-high nine assists in a 112–84 win over theChicago Bulls.[60] Thanks to a 42–40 record, the Magic qualified for the postseason for the first time since2012 and faced theToronto 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.[61] The Magic ended up losing the series in five games, as the Raptors went on to win theNBA Finals.
On December 4, 2019, Gordon scored a season-high 32 points, alongside five rebounds and five assists, in a 128–114 win over thePhoenix Suns.[62] Gordon was runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest toDerrick Jones Jr. during the2020 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.[63] On February 28, Gordon recorded his first careertriple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in a 136–125 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[64] 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 theNBA Bubble. The Magic were eliminated by theMilwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.[65]
On March 19, 2021, Gordon posted a season-high 38 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a 121–113 victory against theBrooklyn 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.[66][67] On March 22, it was reported that Gordon had requested a trade from the Magic.[68]
On March 25, 2021, Gordon andGary Clark were traded to theDenver Nuggets in exchange forGary Harris,R. J. Hampton, and a future first-round pick.[69] 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.[70] On March 28, he made his Nuggets debut in a 126–102 win against theAtlanta Hawks, logging 13 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes of action.[71][72][73] The Nuggets qualified for the playoffs, but they lost in four games to thePhoenix Suns during theWestern Conference Semifinals.[74]
On January 11, 2022, Gordon scored a season-high 30 points, alongside 12 rebounds, in a 85–87 loss to theLos Angeles Clippers.[75] During the first round of the playoffs, the Nuggets lost in five games to the eventual champions, theGolden State Warriors.[76]
During the 2022–23 season, Gordon was discussed as a potentialNBA All-Star selection. However, he ultimately wasn't selected.[77][78] In Game 1 of theWestern 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.[79] In Game 4 of the2023 NBA Finals, Gordon scored a then playoff career-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a 108–95 victory over theMiami Heat.[80] The Nuggets went on to win 94–89 in Game 5 to make Gordon anNBA champion. Just hours after the victory, Gordon was seen celebrating with fans in the streets ofdowntown Denver just miles away fromBall Arena, and walked with many for several blocks.[81]
The following season saw him miss multiple games after being bitten by a dog in his face and hands.[82][83] In Game 3 of the Nuggets'first round playoffs series against theLos Angeles Lakers, Gordon posted playoff career-highs with 29 points and 15 rebounds in a 112–105 win.[84] In Game 4 of theWestern Conference Semifinals against theMinnesota Timberwolves, Gordon logged 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting, two shy of matching his playoff career-high, alongside six rebounds and six assists, in a winning effort.[85] Denver would go on to lose to Minnesota in seven games.[86]
Prior to the2024–25 season, Gordon switched his jersey number from 50 to 32 to honor his late older brotherDrew Gordon, who wore No. 32 before he died in a May 2024 car accident.[87] On October 21, 2024, Gordon and the Nuggets agreed to a four–year, $133 million contract extension.[88][89]
On March 7, 2025, Gordon made a career-high seven 3-pointers and had 27 points in a 149–141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns.[90] On April 26, Gordon scored 14 points and a game-winning, buzzer-beating dunk, the first in NBA playoff history, in a 101–99 victory against theLos Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of the first round.[91] On May 5, he logged a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds, and hit the game-winning three-pointer, in a 121–119 victory against theOklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the second round.[92] On May 9, Gordon had 22 points, including a game-tying three late in regulation, allowing the Nuggets to go up 2–1 in their series.[93] Despite his clutch efforts, Denver ultimately lost the series to Oklahoma in seven games.[94]
On October 23, 2025, Gordon put up a career-high 50 points on 10-of-11 three-point shooting in a 137–131 overtime loss to theGolden State Warriors. His 10 three-pointers made tiedTerry Rozier's record for the most three-pointers made in a season-opening game and his 50 points surpassedAlex English's previous record (47) for the most points in a season-opening game in Nuggets franchise history.[95][96]
Gordon led Team USA to the 2011FIBA 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 toearn MVP honors, while leading the United States to a gold medal at the2013 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.[12]
In 2016, Gordon was appointed president of athlete acquisition forLucid, a sports psychology app developed by mental skills coachGraham Betchart.[97]
In 2020, Gordon signed a partnership agreement with Chinese sports brand361 Degrees.[98] The same year, Gordon donated to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation forOrange County Public Schools of Florida. The goal of the Fund was to help children who were adversely affected by school districts canceling classes during thecoronavirus pandemic.[99]
In 2018, Gordon made his acting debut as Casper inUncle Drew.[100] In 2020 he released a single "Pull Up" with rap artist Moe.[101]
| 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 |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2022–23† | Denver | 68 | 68 | 30.2 | .564 | .347 | .608 | 6.6 | 3.0 | .8 | .8 | 16.3 |
| 2023–24 | Denver | 73 | 73 | 31.5 | .556 | .290 | .658 | 6.5 | 3.5 | .8 | .6 | 13.9 |
| 2024–25 | Denver | 51 | 42 | 28.4 | .531 | .436 | .810 | 4.8 | 3.2 | .5 | .3 | 14.7 |
| Career | 720 | 622 | 29.3 | .484 | .331 | .693 | 6.2 | 2.7 | .7 | .6 | 13.6 | |
| 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 |
| 2023† | Denver | 20 | 20 | 35.6 | .518 | .391 | .652 | 6.0 | 2.6 | .6 | .7 | 13.3 |
| 2024 | Denver | 12 | 12 | 37.1 | .585 | .407 | .821 | 7.3 | 4.4 | .8 | .6 | 14.3 |
| 2025 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 37.3 | .485 | .379 | .860 | 7.6 | 2.7 | .6 | .4 | 16.2 |
| Career | 66 | 66 | 34.9 | .498 | .376 | .717 | 6.7 | 2.9 | .6 | .5 | 13.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14[102] | Arizona | 38 | 38 | 31.2 | .495 | .356 | .422 | 8.0 | 2.0 | .9 | 1.0 | 12.4 |
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