History of Aaron Gordon in Timeline

Aaron Gordon is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. He was born in San Jose, California, and achieved considerable high school success at Archbishop Mitty High School, winning two state championships and twice being named California Mr. Basketball. He played college basketball for one year at the University of Arizona, contributing to their Pac-12 regular season title and Elite Eight appearance in the 2014 NCAA tournament.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1988: Comparison to Jordan-Wilkins Dunk Showdown

During the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend, Aaron Gordon's battle with Zach LaVine in the Slam Dunk Contest drew comparisons to the showdown between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in 1988.

September 16, 1995: Aaron Gordon's Birth

On September 16, 1995, Aaron Addison Gordon was born in San Jose, California.

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2009: Freshman Year at Archbishop Mitty High School

In 2009, Aaron Gordon began his freshman year at Archbishop Mitty High School, starting in 28 of 41 games and averaging 11.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He also competed in track and field and played summer basketball.

2010: USA Basketball Developmental National Team Mini-Camp Participation

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

2010: Sophomore Year at Archbishop Mitty

In 2010, Aaron Gordon played as a sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School, contributing to the team's CIF Division II title.

2011: CIF Division II Title Win

In 2011, Aaron Gordon helped Archbishop Mitty win the CIF Division II title. In the title game, he scored 17 points and set a state championship record with 21 rebounds.

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, recording team-highs of 17.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

2011: Second CIF Division II State Title

In 2011, Aaron Gordon led his team to their second CIF Division II state title, scoring 33 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the finals. He was also named California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year.

2012: Senior Year at Archbishop Mitty

In 2012, during his senior year, Aaron Gordon averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game, leading Archbishop Mitty to the CIF Open Division finals. He was again chosen as the California Mr. Basketball Player of the Year.

2012: Magic Qualify for Postseason

In 2019, the Magic qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2012, facing the Toronto Raptors in the first round.

April 2, 2013: Commits to University of Arizona

On April 2, 2013, Aaron Gordon committed to the University of Arizona.

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 win against Cal Poly.

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

In 2013, Aaron Gordon led the United States to a gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup held in Prague and earned MVP honors. During the tournament, he averaged team highs of 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 61.2 percent from the field.

February 13, 2014: Naismith College Player of the Year Finalist

On February 13, 2014, Aaron Gordon was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year.

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.

March 2, 2014: Pac-12 Regular Season Title

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

March 8, 2014: Victory Against Oregon

On March 8, 2014, Aaron Gordon contributed 21 points in a win against Oregon, finishing the season with a 28-3 record.

March 13, 2014: Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals

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

March 14, 2014: Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals

On March 14, 2014, Aaron Gordon led his team to a semifinal victory against Colorado, scoring 9 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

April 15, 2014: Declares for NBA Draft

On April 15, 2014, Aaron Gordon declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

June 26, 2014: Drafted by Orlando Magic

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

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' Season and NCAA Tournament

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

2014: NCAA Tournament Run

In the 2014 NCAA tournament, Aaron Gordon helped Arizona advance to the Elite Eight. He scored 16 points against Weber State, 18 points against Gonzaga, and 15 points against San Diego State. The team ultimately lost to Wisconsin.

January 18, 2015: Return After Foot 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.

July 2015: NBA Summer League

In July 2015, Aaron Gordon rejoined the Magic for the 2015 NBA Summer League, averaging 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks in three games.

November 4, 2015: Career-High 19 Points

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

January 31, 2016: Ties Career High of 19 Points

On January 31, 2016, Aaron Gordon tied his 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 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 as the president of athlete acquisition for Lucid, which is a sports psychology app developed by mental skills coach Graham Betchart.

February 18, 2017: Second Slam Dunk Contest

On February 18, 2017, Aaron Gordon participated in his second consecutive Slam Dunk Contest but did not advance past the first round.

March 31, 2017: 32 Points vs 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 career-high 41 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.

November 29, 2017: 40 Points and 15 Rebounds Against Thunder

On November 29, 2017, Aaron Gordon had 40 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

December 30, 2017: 39-Point Effort Against Heat

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

March 24, 2018: Career-High 8 Assists

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

July 6, 2018: Re-signs with the Magic

On July 6, 2018, Aaron Gordon re-signed with the Orlando 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 Nine 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 in a win over the Phoenix Suns.

January 17, 2020: Number Retired by Archbishop Mitty

On January 17, 2020, Archbishop Mitty retired Aaron Gordon's number 32.

2020: Release of "Pull Up" Single

In 2020, Aaron Gordon released the single "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 the Chinese sports brand 361 Degrees and donated to the Homeless Education Fund at the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools of Florida. The goal was to help children adversely affected by school districts canceling classes during the coronavirus pandemic.

2020: NBA Slam Dunk Contest Runner-Up

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

March 19, 2021: Season-High 38 Points

On March 19, 2021, Aaron Gordon posted a season-high 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets, also knocking down a career-high seven 3-pointers.

March 25, 2021: Traded to Denver Nuggets

On March 25, 2021, Aaron Gordon was traded to the Denver Nuggets.

2021: Trade to 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 in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

2022: NBA All-Star Selection Discussions

During the 2022-23 season, Aaron Gordon was discussed as a potential NBA All-Star selection, but he ultimately wasn't selected.

2023: NBA Championship with Nuggets

In 2023, Aaron Gordon won his first NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets.

2023: NBA Champion

In 2023, the Nuggets won against the Miami Heat making Aaron Gordon an NBA champion.

May 2024: Death of Drew Gordon

Prior to the 2024-25 season, Aaron Gordon switched his jersey number to honor his late older brother Drew Gordon, who died in a May 2024 car accident.

October 21, 2024: Contract Extension with Nuggets

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 a 149–141 overtime victory against the Phoenix Suns.