Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon Changes Jersey Number to Honor Late Brother Drew After Tragic Car Accident.Giang

NBA champion Aaron Gordon will honor his late brother on the basketball court this season.

The 28-year-old Nuggets star will swap his No. 50 jersey to No. 32 — the same number his older brother Drew Gordon wore before his untimely passing in May — when the new NBA season begins in October, according to reporter Etienne Catalan.

Catalan said Aaron — who won his first championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 — is making the switch to “honor his late brother,” who “used to wear No. 32,” in a post on X. The Nuggets’ online roster also shows Aaron’s new number.

The last Denver Nugget to wear the number was Jeff Green, who now plays for the Houston Rockets.

Drew tragically passed away on May 30 after he collided with a pickup truck in Portland, Oregon while driving, his agent Calvin Andrews confirmed to ESPN at the time. Drew, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers before signing with an international league, was 33 years old.

He is survived by his wife Angela and their three children: Jayden, 12, Zayne, 5, and Brody, 2.

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The Nuggets posted a tribute to Drew at the time, writing, “1990 – 2024 Drew Gordon. 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.”

They added, “Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time.”

Though he hasn’t made any public statements on his brother’s death, the Nuggets forward dedicated a new tattoo to Drew’s memory after the accident.

Aaron shared a photo of the new ink on Instagram, writing, “Big bruh lives thru me,” in the caption. The tattoo’s design features Drew’s initials and a screaming gorilla on Aaron’s chest.

During his basketball career, Drew played stints with the Dallas Mavericks summer roster, the NBA’s G-League and various international leagues. According to Yahoo Sports, Drew played professional basketball in France, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Lithuania, Japan, Russia, Ukraine and Poland.

He also played for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 season, where he played in nine games.