Aaron Gordon will wear a new jersey number for his 12th NBA season.
Last month, the Denver Nuggets forward revealed a switch from No. 50 to 32. Gordon shared the news in a video where he followed a dunk by ripping off a No. 50 jersey to display a No. 32 one underneath.
During Thursday’s NBA Media Day, Gordon explained the reasoning behind the number swap. His brother, former NBA player Drew Gordon, wore No. 32 in college.
Aaron made the change to honor Drew, who died in a car accident in May.
“It was my brother’s favorite number,” Aaron Gordon said. “My dad’s favorite number, my sister played in it in college. I played in it in high school. It was my brother’s favorite, so it feels like home.”
After donning No. 32 in two seasons each at UCLA and New Mexico, Drew Gordon played nine games for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014. He continued his basketball career in the G League and overseas.
While Aaron became a household name for his performances in the Slam Dunk Contest, he’s developed into a pivotal starter for Denver. He averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 73 games last season.
When recalling how much he leaned on his brother, Aaron credited his Nuggets teammates for helping him after Drew’s death.
“These guys have been there for me every step of the way,” Gordon said. “They came to his service, they came to his funeral. These guys have been really, really super supportive for me, and I love them for that. These guys have really developed into people that I would call my own brother. These are my brothers.”
Related: Aaron Gordon’s Brother, Former NBA Forward, Dies At 33