Gordon sacrifices star in Nuggets title hunt: ‘I care about winning’

Melissa Rohlin

FOX Sports NBA Writer

Aaron Gordon know he could be a star elsewhere.

Instead, he wholeheartedly accepted a relatively ungrateful role in Denverplay behind Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and others attack, while usually defending the opposing team’s brightest star.

But Gordon doesn’t consider his role for the Nuggets relatively trivial – he considers it a privilege.

“I don’t care about the credit,” Gordon told FOX Sports. “I care about the wins.”

Gordon’s approach greatly helped the Nuggets, which reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In their 104-93 win over Heat Miami in Game 1 on Thursday, Gordon shined, finishing with 16 on 7 to 10, while also helping to keep Jimmy the butler only 13 points left when shooting 6 to 14.

Nuggets acquired Gordon on the 2021 trading term from Orlando magicwho chose him as the 4th overall pick in the 2014 draft. In Orlando, Gordon was the The guy on a team missed the knockout five times and got eliminated in the first round twice. In Denver, he often worked in the dark, doing things that didn’t show up in box scores – chasing loose balls, securing rims, and forcing others to change their shots.

When asked if he liked his new job more than his old one, Gordon grinned.

“Win?” he told FOX Sports. “Yes. Most definitely. I’d rather get 15 points for a winning team than 25 points for a losing team.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone has been impressed with Gordon’s willingness to make sacrifices, especially this season, after Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Returning after a long absence due to injury.

“We always talk about Nikola embodying Nuggets culture and I think Aaron Gordon is a prime example of someone who is truly selfless,” Malone said. “He understands with Jamal and Michael coming back this year, healthy, that his role will change. He’s never once struggled with it. He’s accepted it since Day One of the year. Season.”

Gordon has excelled as a two-way player for the Nuggets, averaging 16.3 points with a career-high 56.4% shot rate, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in regular season, which brought him into the conversation about becoming his first All-Star team in 10 seasons.

But Gordon was overlooked for the honor, with Jokic being the only Nuggets player selected as an All-Star.

According to Malone, Gordon is not honored enough.

“He did a lot of the dirty work for us,” Malone said. “And a lot of times he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”

After this season, Gordon did his best to protect the best players in the NBA.

According to NBA.comwhen you protect of Minnesota The town of Karl-Anthony in the first round, he held him off with a score of 10 to 27 (37%). In the second round, he organized Phoenix Kevin Durant to shoot 26 to 68 (38.2%). LeBron James was more successful against Gordon in the Western Conference final, shooting 12 to 20 (60%).

Now, Gordon may be facing his fiercest test yet against Butler, who led the Heat to become the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the Finals.

Gordon told FOX Sports: “Jimmy is a really, really tough guard just because he does a lot of work on the floor, it’s just always so elusive.

But on Thursday, Gordon beat Butler at best, keeping him with the fewest points he has scored after this season. He did just that setting the tone for the Nuggets, scoring 12 shots 6 to 8 in the first quarter to give Denver a 9-point lead over that span and 24 in the game.

For Jokic, having someone with Gordon’s skill set on the floor with him is a great and welcome addition.

“Oh, I love playing with him,” said Jokic, who has 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. “I like playing with some guys, I’d say the big guys dominate, if that makes any sense. The best thing he’s done is accept his role. And he’s really doing a great job at that. there.”

“…He’s probably our best protector, he and (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope). And just defending the whole game with the best player, I think that’s really hard to do.”

Gordon – who has the right to select players for the 2025-26 season – has devoted himself to being a resilient defender. He researched his opponents, analyzed spy reports, and watched movies.

Gordon told FOX Sports: “I could watch one game a day. “Probably a game-and-a-half-day.”

It all paid off well for Gordon, who is just three wins away from winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

And for him, Thursday alone was surreal.

Before the game, he took a moment during the anthem to realize that he was finally getting to play on the NBA’s biggest stage for the first time. And after the Nuggets won, he said he looked forward to being 90 years old and sitting in his rocking chair, telling his kids how he locked up some of the best players in the game.

Malone ended the night by giving Gordon, the series’ defensive player, a necklace that he used to reward efforts on the less foreboding side of the field.

For Gordon, his role seems less lofty than that of the Nuggets. But for him, playing in this team is a dream come true.

“It is a [style] Gordon told FOX Sports. “So it’s an exciting basketball franchise.”

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She has previously covered the tournament for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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