Drew Gordon, a well-traveled professional basketball player and the older brother of Denver Nuggets starter Aaron Gordon, died in a car accident on Thursday, his agent told ESPN. He was 33 years old.
The big man played nine games in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, but his career encompassed so much more. In addition to the NBA and the G League, Gordon played in leagues in Serbia, Italy, Turkey, France, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Japan.
Gordon entered college basketball as a four-star recruit from Rivals, transferring from San Jose to UCLA, where he immediately saw playing time. That tenure ended midway through his sophomore year, when he left the team and moved to New Mexico.
That New Mexico career was more productive, earning all-conference honors twice and winning MVP of the 2012 Mountain West Tournament. He averaged a double-double in his senior year with 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
After not being selected in the 2012 NBA Draft, Gordon played in the summer league with the Dallas Mavericks and then embarked on a twelve-year professional career. He entered the NBA in 2014, parlaying a summer league stint with the Sixers into a monthlong stint midway through the regular season.
Gordon found fame elsewhere, earning All-Star honors in France and Russia and winning a title in the 2014 Italian Cup.
Meanwhile, Gordon’s brother Aaron entered college basketball as a five-star, being selected fourth overall in 2014 and winning the NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets last season. Gordon was there to celebrate with him.
