NBA Star Aaron Gordon Sidelined Indefinitely After Dog Attack On Christmas Day

It looks like fans of the Denver Nuggets will not be seeing Aaron Gordon in his element for the next few weeks, no thanks to injuries sustained in an incident during the holidays. The forward, who has had a terrific year, played a significant role in the team's 120-144 Christmas Day win against the Golden State Warriors.

Gordon was temporarily laid off from the team to fully recover after he suffered multiple lacerations to his face and hands due to a dog bite on Christmas Day.

On Wednesday, the athlete's team announced on their X (formerly Twitter) account that updates will be provided as treatment continues. However, Nugget's coach, Michael Malone, disclosed to ESPN that Gordon must heal "inside and out," adding:

"Going through something like that is not something you come back from easily. That's something where you have to heal from the physical, but you also have to heal from the mental and what you just kind of went through."

Malone continued that the team wants him back as he is an invaluable team member, but he also wants to support Gordon and ensure he is fully ready and fit to play at the level he can. The 28-year-old has had a good run this season and averaged 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 32 minutes to help the Nuggets defend their NBA title.

He also finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists to secure a win for the Nuggets over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. While Gordon is recovering, the Nuggets hosted the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday and prepare to play seven out of their next nine games at home before departing for a five-game road trip in mid-January.

The forward's absence has indeed left big shoes to fill for fourth-year teammate Zeke Nnaji and fellow forward Michael Porter Jr. NBA.com currently has no information on the breed nor the owner of the dog that attacked Gordon.

Aside from his team's support, Gordons also receives overwhelming support from his parents, who are frequently present at his basketball games at Ball Arena. Per Sportskeeda, Gordon's parents Ed Gordon and Shelly Davis met at San Diego State where Ed played on the Aztecs team for four years, and Shelly, a track and field pro.

His siblings Drew and Elise are also professional basketball players, as Elise once played on Harvard's basketball team. The power forward was declared for the 2014 NBA draft and selected 4th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Gordon has often credited his parent's sports abilities as a dominant factor in his astounding performances on the court and even sent a shoutout for their steady support at the Western Conference Finals, where the Nugget recorded a clean sweep against LA Lakers.

Apart from being a track and field legend, Shelly also holds a Bachelor of Science in computer information degree and a Master of Science in marketing from the prestigious University of San Diego.

She also worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer and computer scientist, after which she launched the "Gordon Family Giving" alongside her Ed in 2018 while Gordon was with the Orlando Magic.

This initiative was established to support "underrepresented and underserved young students" by providing opportunities through science, technology, engineering, and math education.

Despite their son's fame in the NBA, the foundation is still fully active and managed by Gordon's parents. As for the Denver Nuggets, Gordons helped them head into the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals back in June after dealing a sounding defeat to the Miami Heat.

"AG" led the team by scoring 25 points on 10-13 shooting, plus a 2-3 from behind the arc. Gordon's last-second three-pointer then sealed the deal by giving the Nuggets a 13-point lead before the fourth quarter.

The pro basketballer is famous for breaking the defense of smaller players like Gabe Vincent of the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat's Caleb Martin, and Max Strus of the Cleveland Cavaliers on the court.