Drew Gordon, a former NBA player and the older brother of Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, died in a car crash Thursday in Oregon, multiple people familiar with the situation confirmed to The Denver Post. He was 33.
Drew often attended his brother’s games in Denver, where Aaron won an NBA championship in 2023. Drew played NCAA basketball at UCLA and New Mexico then went on to compete professionally in the U.S. and abroad. He briefly played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014, also spending multiple stints in the G League.
“The Denver Nuggets organization is devastated to learn about the tragic passing of Drew Gordon,” the team said in a statement. “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.”
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Drew was living in Ukraine, playing for BC Budivelnyk Kyiv, when the threat of a Russian invasion in 2022 forced him to leave the country with his wife and children, according to a 2022 report by ESPN’s Marc J. Spears. Drew retired from basketball in July 2023.
This story will be updated.