Aaron Gordon may have helped the Denver Nuggets steal Game 1 of their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. But his nephews stole the show during Gordon’s post-game press conference.
Gordon’s nephews Zayne, 6, and Brody, 3, captured the hearts of basketball fans across the country for their reaction after the Nuggets forward’s game-winning 3-pointer lifted Denver to a shocking 121-119 win in Oklahoma City.
Zayne and Brody joined Gordon at the podium for his post-win press availability, and Nuggets team reporter Katy Winge asked the brothers how loudly they cheered when Gordon’s late trifecta gave the Nuggets a 1-0 edge in the best-of-7 series.
“We cheered, like, a lot,” Zayne adorably said.
The made basket was his second buzzer-beating shot in the playoffs — the other being his game-winning dunk in Game 4 of the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“We didn’t want to miss the moment. We didn’t want to miss our opportunity,” Gordon said after the game. “I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”
Closer than family
Zayne and Brody are blood relatives to their famous uncle, but they have gotten even closer over the past year.
Aaron’s brother Drew, a former college and G League basketball player, passed away due to a car accident in May 2024. The accident has resulted in Aaron, his sister Elise and his nephews taking becoming even more closely connected.
“I think we really rallied around each other,” Elise told Andscape earlier this month. “Honestly, we have tightened our circle even more just knowing that we got us. That is what it’s come down to: being there for each other.”
Aaron Gordon, who had worn No. 50 since being traded to the Nuggets from Orlando during the 2020-21 season including during Denver’s championship run two seasons ago, changed his number to 32. That was the number Drew wore at both UCLA and New Mexico over his four-year playing career in college.
Not Done Yet
Unlike two seasons ago where the Nuggets were the hunted as the top seed in the Western Conference, they are the upstarts this spring.
After all, Denver was in turmoil after it fired coach Michael Malone and did not renew the contract of executive Calvin Booth with just three games remaining in the regular season. Despite winning 50 games, the Nuggets narrowly edged out the Clippers in seven games and are a heavy underdog against the top-seeded Thunder.
Yet, Gordon, especially, has been a key contributor by averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and two assists per game in the postseason. But he is hardly the only leader, since Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray and many others make up a championship-caliber team that is starting to look dangerous again.
“I think we have a really soulful group,” Gordon said Monday. “We’ve got a lot of leaders. We have really high-character guys. We have guys that want to win, guys that play for the right reasons. So when you bring everybody together that have that same mindset and same soulful approach to the game, you get something special.”
Aaron Gordon’s Nephews Steal the Show After Nuggets Game Winner