Drew Gordon, a former NBA forward and the older brother of Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets, passed away at the age of 33. The Denver Nuggets organization released a statement expressing their devastation over his tragic passing. They acknowledged that while he was too young to leave this world, his legacy would live on through his three children and loved ones. The Nuggets offered their condolences to Aaron Gordon and the rest of the Gordon family during this difficult time.
According to ESPN, Gordon was involved in a car accident in Portland, Oregon, as reported by his agent, Calvin Andrews. Further details about the accident were not immediately available. Gordon had an impressive career as a collegiate athlete, playing for UCLA from 2008 to 2009 and then for the University of New Mexico from 2010 to 2012. Despite going undrafted in the NBA draft, he later played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014, appearing in nine games before being waived in December of the same year.
After his time in the NBA, Gordon transitioned to playing professionally internationally, including stints in France, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Japan. He officially retired from professional basketball in July 2023 after giving his all to the sport for many years. Gordon expressed his gratitude to basketball for all it had given him, as well as to the fans, friends, and family who had supported him throughout his journey. He looked forward to the next chapter of his life as he bid farewell to his jersey number 32 and welcomed in age 33.
In a tweet from March, Gordon shared the challenge of watching basketball games as a spectator after playing professionally for so long. He mentioned that it was difficult to simply watch the game without analyzing everything from offense and defense to player strengths and weaknesses, coaching styles, and more. Despite no longer being an active player, Gordon remained deeply connected to the sport and continued to engage with basketball through observation and analysis. His passion for the game was evident in his reflections on the intricacies and nuances of basketball even after his retirement.
