Drew Gordon, a well-traveled professional basketball player and older brother of Denver Nuggets starter Aaron Gordon, died in a car accident Thursday. his agent told ESPN. She was 33 years old.
The Nuggets confirmed the news and expressed their support for Gordon’s brother and his three children.
The great man played nine games in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, but his career was much more. In addition to the NBA and 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 of the Rivals and moved from San Jose to UCLA, where he saw immediate playing time. That tenure ended midway through his sophomore year, when he left the team and moved to New Mexico.
That career in New Mexico was more productive, earning all-conference honors twice and winning the 2012 Mountain West Tournament MVP. He averaged a double-double as a senior with 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, Gordon played in summer league with the Dallas Mavericks and then embarked on a 12-year professional career. He came to the NBA in 2014, turning a summer league season with the Sixers into a month-long stint in the middle of the regular season.
Gordon found stardom 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, was drafted fourth overall in 2014 and won the NBA championship last season with the Denver Nuggets. Gordon was there to celebrate with him.