Drew Gordon, Former NBA Player, Dead at 33 in Car Crash

Gordon played for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 season

Former NBA forward Drew Gordon, who is also the older brother of Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon, has died in a car crash at the age of 33.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday, May 30, Denver Nuggets shared a black and white snap of the Gordon brothers with their hands touching as they faced in opposite directions.

“1990 - 2024 Drew Gordon,” the tribute read in capital letters. “The Denver Nuggets organization is devastated to learn about the tragic passing of Drew Gordon. 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.”

They added, “Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time.”

In a May 31 press release, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said that just after 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, "deputies were dispatched to a two-vehicle injury crash involving a Vanderhall Carmel three-wheeled autocycle and a GMC Sierra pickup on S. Springwater Road near S. Stevens Road in unincorporated Clackamas County." The area is just outside Portland, Oregon.

The Sheriff's Office identified the driver of the Vanderhall as "33-year-old Drew E. Gordon of Oregon City," and stated that he "died at the scene." The driver of the GMC was identified as Rodrigo Navarro Quintor, 25, of Oregon City, who along with a passenger was transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The statement added that the Sheriff’s Office inter-agency Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technicians (CRAFT) team had attended the scene and that "preliminary investigation indicates that the Vanderhall crossed over the center line and collided with the GMC. At this time, impairment does not appear to be a factor," and noted that the investigation is ongoing.

Drew’s agent Calvin Andrews had previously confirmed to ESPN that the former basketball player died in a car accident in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, May 30. Andrews did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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Per CBS Sports, Drew’s college career began at UCLA, where he spent two years in the UCLA Bruins men's basketball program. He then transferred to New Mexico for junior season, joining the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team for two seasons.

Despite averaging at least 13 points and 10 rebounds every game, Drew did not make the 2012 NBA draft, according to the outlet, but still had a successful basketball career.

CBS Sports reported that Drew went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks in the Summer League before switching between foreign leagues and the G League.

Yahoo! Sports also reported that Drew played in leagues in France, Italy, Turkey,  Serbia,  Lithuania, Japan, Russia, Ukraine and Poland.

He then played for the NBA team Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 season, where he played in nine games.

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According to CBS Sports, Drew continued playing professional basketball for nearly ten years after his time at the Philadelphia 76ers. With most of his career taking place abroad, he went on to receive the title of All-Star in France in 2015, before retiring in 2023.

Drew’s last Instagram post on April 26 featured him pictured alongside a snap of his brother Aaron with the caption, “Did you know that Aaron Gordon’s brother was a G League star? 6’9’ big man Drew Gordon played two seasons in the G and was a nightly double-double machine.”

The post also featured slides of him playing basketball during his professional career.

On February 18, Drew also shared a carousel post to celebrate the birthday of his wife Angela.

According to ESPN, the late athlete is survived by Angela and three children.

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