What Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon did for family after brother’s tragic passing

When Denver Nuggets fans think about the team’s recent playoff success, two names come to mind. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have plenty of great moments in the postseason. This year, however, interim head coach David Adelman has a new hero to thank; Aaron Gordon. The forward is delivering in the clutch, but his most important move was made before the season.

Gordon’s older brother, Drew Gordon, passed away close to a year ago in a car accident, according to Scotty Gange with 9News Denver. To honor him, the Nuggets forward changed his jersey number from 50 to 32, the number his brother wore in high school.

Gordon’s dedication to honor his brother’s memory goes beyond what he does on the court. He is still very close with his nephews and their mother, inviting all three to Nuggets events regularly. After he hit a game-winning shot in Game 1 of Denver’s second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gordon had his nephews join him for his post-game press conference.

Gordon is arguably his team’s most valuable player outside of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. His 6-foot-8, 235lbs. frame makes him a perfect defender and rebounder in the front court alongside Jokic. He and the Serbian big man also form one of the best lob duos in recent memory.

While his impact isn’t as loud as Murray’s on a nightly basis, Gordon is coming through when it matters. His game-winning tip dunk stole Game 4 for Denver in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. That, combined with the three-pointer he made in the final seconds against the Thunder in the final seconds of Game 1 have put him in the spotlight of Denver’s playoff run.

This might be Adelman’s first taste of the postseason as a head coach, but he has his team playing well. Gordon is hoping that his first season wearing his brother’s jersey ends in his second NBA title.