Aaron Gordon

The elite athlete who won a title by sacrificing his own game — and wears No. 32 to honor his late brother.

Aaron Gordon was born in San Jose to an athletic family: his father Ed played college basketball and his older brother Drew played professionally. He won two state titles at Archbishop Mitty, was twice California Mr. Basketball, and starred for a season at Arizona before Orlando drafted him fourth overall in 2014. He became known for his athleticism and two celebrated Slam Dunk Contest runner-up finishes.

Traded to Denver in 2021, Gordon reinvented himself as a selfless two-way connector alongside Nikola Jokić, a role that keyed the 2023 championship — he scored 27 in the clinching Finals game while guarding the opponent's best wing. After his brother Drew died in May 2024, he changed his number from 50 to 32 in tribute. In October 2025 he scored a career-high 50, breaking the franchise single-game record, and signed a four-year, $133 million extension.

Sources: Wikipedia, Basketball-Reference, Denver Gazette.

The defining fact of Aaron Gordon's recent life isn't a dunk or a title — it's a tribute. In May 2024 his older brother Drew, who had played professionally and was part of the family that raised him on the game, died in a car accident. Aaron switched his jersey from 50 to 32, Drew's number, and has carried him onto the floor every night since. The grief reframed a career already built on selflessness.

That selflessness is the through-line. Gordon came to Denver a former top-five pick and willingly became a role player — guarding the toughest assignment, setting the screens, taking fewer shots — because it made the team better. Off the court he channels the same discipline into ventures like a sports-psychology app and community work, including education funding for the homeless. He is, by reputation, one of the sport's genuine high-character stars.

A supreme athlete with a team-first soul — the rare star who measures himself by winning, not numbers.

Per game

Source: Basketball-Reference.

Advanced metrics

Where he sits in history

The perfect complementary star — locked in long-term as the two-way connector who makes Denver's stars work.

Signed through the end of the decade on a four-year, $133 million deal, Gordon is the low-maintenance, high-impact piece every contender covets: elite defense across five positions, efficient finishing, and a total absence of ego. As long as he's healthy, he's the ideal third star around Jokić and Murray.

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