Career Timeline of Aaron Gordon: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Aaron Gordon built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Aaron Gordon is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Born in San Jose, California, he excelled at Archbishop Mitty High School, securing two state championships and the California Mr. Basketball title in consecutive years. He furthered his basketball career with one year at the University of Arizona, contributing to the team's Pac-12 regular season title and their appearance in the Elite Eight of the 2014 NCAA tournament.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2010: USA Basketball Developmental National Team Mini-Camp Participation

In 2010, Aaron Gordon participated at the USA Basketball Developmental National Team mini-camp.

2011: FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship Gold Medal

In 2011, Aaron Gordon led Team USA to win the FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship gold medal, averaging team-highs in points (17.0), rebounds (11.2), and blocks (3.2) per game.

2012: Magic Qualified for Postseason

In 2012, the Magic qualified for the postseason for the first time.

November 8, 2013: College Debut for Arizona Wildcats

On November 8, 2013, Aaron Gordon made his college debut for the Arizona Wildcats, recording 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 73–62 win against Cal Poly.

2013: FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold Medal and MVP

In 2013, Aaron Gordon earned MVP honors while leading the United States to a gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Prague, where he averaged team highs of 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

February 22, 2014: Season-High Points Against Colorado

On February 22, 2014, Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 23 points in a win against Colorado, with 21 points scored in the second half.

March 2, 2014: Pac-12 Regular Season Title

On March 2, 2014, Aaron Gordon led his team to a Pac-12 regular season title after a 79–66 victory over Stanford, scoring 19 points and achieving a career-high 15 rebounds.

March 8, 2014: Victory Over Oregon

On March 8, 2014, in the final game of the regular season, Aaron Gordon contributed 21 points in a 64–47 win against Oregon, finishing the season with a 28–3 record.

March 13, 2014: Pac-12 Tournament Victory Over Utah

On March 13, 2014, during the 2014 Pac-12 tournament, Arizona defeated Utah in the quarterfinals 71–39, with Aaron Gordon scoring 11 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

March 14, 2014: Pac-12 Semifinal Victory Against Colorado

On March 14, 2014, Aaron Gordon led his team to a 63-43 semifinal victory against Colorado during which Gordon scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

April 15, 2014: Declared for the NBA Draft

On April 15, 2014, Aaron Gordon declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility after finishing his freshman year with a record-breaking 303 rebounds. He was also named to the All-Pac-12 first team, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 All-Freshman team.

June 26, 2014: Selected in NBA Draft

On June 26, 2014, Aaron Gordon was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic.

2014: NCAA Tournament Run

In 2014, Aaron Gordon scored 16 points in a victory over Weber State in the NCAA tournament. He added 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in a win against Gonzaga to advance to the Sweet 16. His team lost to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight, where Gordon scored 8 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.

2014: Drafted by Orlando Magic

In 2014, Aaron Gordon was selected by the Orlando Magic as the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft.

2014: Arizona Wildcats Reach Elite Eight

In 2014, Aaron Gordon's Arizona Wildcats won the Pac-12 regular season title and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

January 18, 2015: Return from Injury

On January 18, 2015, Aaron Gordon returned to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing 32 games due to a fractured bone in his left foot sustained in November 2014.

July 2015: NBA Summer League

In July 2015, Aaron Gordon re-joined the Magic for the 2015 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks in three games.

November 4, 2015: Career High Points

On November 4, 2015, Aaron Gordon scored a then career-high 19 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets.

January 31, 2016: Tied Career High Points

On January 31, 2016, Aaron Gordon tied his then career high of 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a win over the Boston Celtics.

December 14, 2016: Career-High 33 Points

On December 14, 2016, Aaron Gordon scored a then career-high 33 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

2016: NBA Slam Dunk Contest Runner-Up

In 2016, Aaron Gordon was a runner-up in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, losing to Zach LaVine.

2016: Appointment as President of Athlete Acquisition for Lucid

In 2016, Aaron Gordon was appointed president of athlete acquisition for Lucid, a sports psychology app developed by mental skills coach Graham Betchart.

February 18, 2017: Slam Dunk Contest

On February 18, 2017, Aaron Gordon participated in his second consecutive Slam Dunk Contest, but failed to make it past the first round.

March 31, 2017: 32 Points Against the Celtics

On March 31, 2017, Aaron Gordon scored 20 of his 32 points in the first half of the Magic's loss to the Boston Celtics. He also had 16 rebounds in the game.

October 24, 2017: Career-High 41 Points

On October 24, 2017, Aaron Gordon scored a then career-high 41 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer, to lift the Magic to a win over the Brooklyn Nets.

November 29, 2017: 40 Points and 15 Rebounds

On November 29, 2017, Aaron Gordon had 40 points and 15 rebounds to help Orlando end a nine-game losing streak with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

December 30, 2017: 39-Point Effort Against the Heat

On December 30, 2017, Aaron Gordon had a 39-point effort in a loss to the Miami Heat.

March 24, 2018: 29 Points, 11 Rebounds, and 8 Assists

On March 24, 2018, Aaron Gordon had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and a then career-high eight assists in a win over the Phoenix Suns.

July 6, 2018: Re-signed with the Magic

On July 6, 2018, Aaron Gordon re-signed with the Magic.

2018: Acting Debut in Uncle Drew

In 2018, Aaron Gordon made his acting debut as Casper in the movie Uncle Drew.

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January 2, 2019: Career-High Assists

On January 2, 2019, Aaron Gordon had a then career-high nine assists in a win over the Chicago Bulls.

April 13, 2019: Playoff Debut

On April 13, 2019, Aaron Gordon made his playoff debut, recording ten points, ten rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a Game 1 win against the Toronto Raptors.

December 4, 2019: Season-High 32 Points

On December 4, 2019, Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 32 points, alongside five rebounds and five assists, in a win over the Phoenix Suns.

2020: Release of "Pull Up" Single

In 2020, Aaron Gordon released a single titled "Pull Up" with rap artist Moe.

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2020: Partnership with 361 Degrees and Donation to Homeless Education Fund

In 2020, Aaron Gordon signed a partnership agreement with Chinese sports brand 361 Degrees and donated to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools of Florida to aid children affected by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic.

2020: NBA Slam Dunk Contest Runner-Up Again

In 2020, Aaron Gordon was again a runner-up in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, this time losing to Derrick Jones Jr.

2020: Runner-up in Slam Dunk Contest

In 2020, Aaron Gordon was runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest to Derrick Jones Jr., losing after an overtime round that included a dunk over Tacko Fall.

March 19, 2021: Season-High 38 Points

On March 19, 2021, Aaron Gordon posted a season-high 38 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a victory against the Brooklyn Nets, ending the Magics' nine-game losing streak and stopping the Nets' winning streak at six games. He also knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers.

March 25, 2021: Traded to the Denver Nuggets

On March 25, 2021, Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark were traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, R. J. Hampton, and a future first-round pick.

2021: Traded to the Denver Nuggets

In 2021, Aaron Gordon was traded to the Denver Nuggets.

January 11, 2022: Season High 30 Points

On January 11, 2022, Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 30 points, alongside 12 rebounds, in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

2023: NBA Championship

In 2023, Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets won the NBA Championship.

October 21, 2024: Contract Extension

On October 21, 2024, Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets agreed to a four–year, $133 million contract extension.

March 7, 2025: Career-High Seven 3-Pointers

On March 7, 2025, Aaron Gordon achieved a career-high by making seven 3-pointers and scoring 27 points in an overtime victory against the Phoenix Suns.

October 23, 2025: Career-High 50 Points

On October 23, 2025, Aaron Gordon scored a career-high 50 points, making 10 of 11 three-point attempts in an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors. He tied Terry Rozier's record for the most three-pointers in a season-opening game and surpassed Alex English's franchise record for most points in a season-opening game.