Gambling on the decision of a career, this is a man's metamorphosis

When Aaron Gordon appeared on the Nuggets' starting list for a tie-breaker, everyone's first reaction was incredible.

The average recovery time in the NBA for a second-degree hamstring strain is 31 days, and Gordon had less than 72 hours to recover after straining his hamstring in the final minute of Game 6 before he was back on the court.

Gordon's comeback was not just a symbolic appearance to motivate the whole team, he actually played 24 minutes, and if the suspense of the game hadn't ended too soon, he would have played even longer. Gordon grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, including four in the frontcourt, and made the most of his size.

As long as he's on the court, he can make a difference, but with a hamstring strain, Gordon can't do more. Every time he moved violently, there would be a burning sting pain in the part of his left hamstring, but he still gritted his teeth and finished the tie-break.

"I told him not to play, you can see he's struggling a little bit on the court, it's hard to move, and he's on the court and fighting with us, and we have nothing but gratitude for that," Jokic said. ”

This is no longer a simple "tough guy" can be described, Gordon gambled on his career and fought only for his brother. The "brothers" here have two meanings, the Nuggets' teammates, and Gordon's deceased brother Drew.

Speaking before the start of the season, Gordon said of his new teammate, Wei Shao, "I've always been whipping myself up and improving myself, and Wei Shao is the same, he's going to be a Hall of Famer and I'm going to do everything I can to help him win a ring." ”

Throughout the season, Gordon lived up to his promises, scoring two solo games in the playoffs and doing everything he could to take the team forward. Two days ago, some ill-intentioned reporters broke the news that Gordon and Wei Shao had a fierce quarrel in the first round, and Gordon immediately stood up and refuted: "That is completely nonsense, far from the truth of the matter." ”

The three-point strike in the final minute of the first game of the semifinals was the assist that Wei Shao dribbled to the front court to give Gordon. Wei Shao chose to believe Gordon, and Gordon reciprocated Wei Shao's trust. Shi died for his confidant, so after being injured, Gordon knew that he could not do it, and he never forgot the sentence "I want to help Wei Shao win a ring".

When the season ended, Gordon said of his greatest pride of the season: "It was probably the first time I was able to play without my brother. I know he's always there for me, I'm always there, and I think he's even here. ”

In fact, Gordon has a lot to be proud of this season, as he has improved his three-point shooting percentage to an astonishing 43.6%, and he has completed two finals in a two-round series, the first dunk and the second three-pointer, perfectly replicating the metamorphosis of his career. But Gordon knew none of this would have happened without his brother.

Gordon's older brother, Drew Gordon, died in a car accident on May 30 last year. Drew was more than just a brother to Gordon, he was a best friend, a basketball and a mentor in life.

After his brother entered the NBA, Drew stayed by his brother's side to help him show him the way forward. At the beginning of his career, Gordon was labeled as "can't shoot" very early, and his three-point shooting rate was only about 30%, and his free throw shooting rate was also hovering around 70%.

He was once considered the leader of the Magic, but was quickly waived, and the vague position of "no three, no four" and a constant lack of consistent scoring means allowed Gordon to be traded to the Nuggets. At the Nuggets, Gordon needed to gain weight to play inside, which was a serious challenge for his shooting.

In order to build on what he already has, Gordon bought a warehouse in Denver and converted it into a training gym. Every offseason, Gordon trains at this warehouse, and every night he trains because of insomnia, Gordon's older brother Drew is always by Gordon's side.

After Drew's death, Gordon took his two nephews to his side to take over from his brother as a father. After the first game of the Western Conference semifinals, Gordon brought his two nephews with him in the postgame press conference. He changed his jersey number to the number 32 that his brother wore before the start of the season, and he fought for his brother all season.

A man's growth often happens overnight. Without his brother's escort, Gordon walked out of his injuries and grew up quickly. In one year, he improved his three-point shooting from 29 percent to 43.6 percent and from 65.8 percent to 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Everything Gordon did was seen by fans and recognized by more and more fans. Fans have seen his responsibility as a man and his progress as a player. In the past, Gordon seemed to be trapped forever in the haze of 9 points in the slam dunk contest, but now Gordon shattered the haze with a dunk slam and proved his evolution with a three-point slam.

In 2023, Gordon made his first trip to China after winning the championship. Last year, because of the unexpected death of his brother, Gordon did not come to China. But this year, 361 will accompany Gordon to China again in the summer to start his Asian tour.

The last time Gordon went to China, we had an exclusive interview with Gordon up close, and what impressed me the most about that interview was that Gordon was a person who noticed every detail around him, the position of his shoes and even his own sitting position, and he answered every question very seriously.

I remember asking him, "If you had to pick one of the most explosive dunks in history, which dunk would you choose, it could be anyone, including yourself." Gordon's answer was Carter's dunk of the century at the 2000 Olympics, because it was in actual combat, which is another matter entirely.

Two years later, Gordon had what was probably the greatest dunk in playoff history. When we meet again this time, I will tell him that his dunk is definitely one of the most explosive dunks in history.

Aaron Gordon's name, with this lore, went down in history.