NBA champion Aaron Gordon will honor his late brother on the basketball court this season.
The 28-year-old Nuggets star will trade his No. 50 jersey for No. 32 — the same number his older brother Drew Gordon wore before his untimely death in May — when the new NBA season begins in October, according to reporter Etienne Catalano.
Catalan said Aaron — who won his first championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 — is switching to “honor his late brother,” who “wore No. 32,” in a post on X. The Nuggets’ online roster also shows Aaron’s new number.
The last Denver Nugget to wear that number was Jeff Green, who now plays for the Houston Rockets.
Vanessa Bryant pays tribute to husband Kobe on his 46th birthday
Drew tragically died on May 30 after crashing into a pickup truck while driving in Portland, Oregon, his agent Calvin Andrews confirmed to ESPN at the time. Drew, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers before signing with the International League, was 33 years old.
He is survived by his wife Angela and their three children: Jayden, 12, Zayne, 5, and Brody, 2.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Nuggets posted a tribute to Drew at the time, writing: “1990. – 2024 Drew Gordon. The Denver Nuggets organization is devastated to learn of the tragic death of Drew Gordon. Drew was too young to leave this world, but his legacy will live on forever through his three beautiful children and all of his loved ones.”
They added: “Our hearts go out to Aaron and the Gordon family at this extremely difficult time.”
Drew Gordon header.
Alex Nahorniak-Svenski/NBAE via Getty
Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets is out indefinitely after being bitten by dogs on his face and hand
Although he hasn’t made any public statements about 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 in the caption, “Big bruh lives thru me.” The tattoo design features Drew’s initials and a screaming gorilla on Aaron’s chest.
During his basketball career, Drew played on the summer roster of the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA G-League and various international leagues. According to Yahoo Sports, Drew has 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.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education