Former NBA forward Drew Gordon, brother of Aaron Gordon, dies at 33

"Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time," says Denver Nuggets.

Former NBA forward Drew Gordon, older brother of Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon, has tragically passed away at the age of 33. 

On Thursday, May 30, the Denver Nuggets shared a black and white photograph of the Gordon brothers on X (formerly known as Twitter), featuring the two with their hands touching as they faced in opposite directions.

The tribute read, “1990 - 2024 Drew Gordon,” and continued, “The Denver Nuggets organization is devastated to learn about the tragic passing of Drew Gordon. Drew was far too young to leave this world, but his legacy will forever live on through his three beautiful children and all of his loved ones. Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time.”

Drew’s agent, Calvin Andrews, confirmed to ESPN that the former basketball player died in a car accident in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, May 30. 

Efforts to reach Andrews and Portland Police for additional comments were not immediately successful.

Drew Gordon's basketball journey began at UCLA, where he played for two years with the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team before transferring to New Mexico. 

There, he joined the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team for two seasons, consistently averaging at least 13 points and 10 rebounds per game. 

Despite these impressive stats, Drew did not make the 2012 NBA draft but still carved out a successful professional career.

Drew's professional career included playing for the Dallas Mavericks in the Summer League, followed by stints in various international leagues and the G League.

His career spanned multiple countries, including France, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Lithuania, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. 

He also played nine games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 NBA season and was named an All-Star in France in 2015. 

He retired from professional basketball in 2023 after nearly a decade of playing abroad.

Drew’s last Instagram post on April 26 featured a photo of himself and a snap of his brother Aaron, with the caption, “Did you know that Aaron Gordon’s brother was a G League star? 6’9’ big man Drew Gordon played two seasons in the G and was a nightly double-double machine.” The post included slides of Drew playing basketball throughout his career.

On February 18, Drew shared a heartfelt carousel post to celebrate the birthday of his wife, Angela. According to ESPN, Drew is survived by Angela and their three children.