Drew Gordon, brother of Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, dies at 33

New Mexico’s Drew Gordon speaks with reporters during a news conference in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 16, 2012. Louisville is to play New Mexico, Saturday in Portland in their NCAA college basketball tournament third-round game. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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.”