Drew Gordon, a former NBA forward and the brother of Denver Nuggets player Aaron Gordon, died in a car accident Thursday. He was 33 years old.
Authorities say the former player was driving a Vanderhall Carmel three-wheeled autocycle when he collided with a GMC Sierra pickup. The 25-year-old driver of the GMC was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but Gordon died at the scene, Oregon's Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies stated the preliminary investigation indicates Gordon's vehicle crossed over the center line and collided with the GMC. Though the crash remains under investigation, authorities don't believe Gordon was impaired.
After growing up playing basketball in San Jose, Gordon played for two seasons at UCLA before switching to the University of New Mexico. He went undrafted in 2012 before signing with Serbia's Partizan Belgrade in 2012. The player went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014, and on teams in Turkey, France, Poland, Russia and more before announcing his retirement in 2023.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
The Denver Nuggets, the team Gordon's younger brother has played for since 2021, mentioned the three kids in a tribute to the player.
"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," the Denver Nuggets said in a post on X. "Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time."
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 31, 2024
The Philadelphia 76ers also paid tribute, saying in a post on X, "We send our condolences to the Gordon family and their friends."
