Eric Gordon

Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Born	December 25, 1988 (age 37); Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2008–present
Known for	Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA; Indiana Mr. Basketball (2007); Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2008)

Eric Ambrose Gordon Jr. (born December 25, 1988) is a professional basketball player of Bahamian-American descent currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his high school career at North Central High School, he was honored with the prestigious Indiana Mr. Basketball title. His recruitment in 2006 drew widespread media attention due to a competitive battle between the University of Illinois and Indiana University.

Gordon spent one collegiate season at Indiana, where he distinguished himself as one of the nation’s leading players. He topped the scoring charts in the Big Ten and ranked 19th nationally with an average of 21.5 points per game during his freshman year. Subsequently, he declared for the 2008 NBA draft and was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Early life

Born in Indianapolis, Gordon began his athletic journey at the local Jewish Community Center, initially playing soccer before dedicating himself to basketball. By age seven, he was already competing at Municipal Gardens. It was also at the JCC where Gordon publicly announced his intention to enter the NBA draft.

High school

Gordon attended Fox Hill Elementary and Northview Middle School before enrolling at North Central High School, where he played varsity basketball throughout all four years. A standout performance came in 2007 during a game against Loyola Academy, which featured Michael Jordan’s sons and was broadcast on ESPN; Gordon set a school record by scoring 43 points that evening and twice reached 50 points during that season. He guided North Central to the Indiana 4A championship game as a senior, ultimately falling to East Chicago Central. Over that season, he averaged 29 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting an impressive 57% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. His achievements earned him the title of Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" for 2007, as well as a spot as a McDonald's All-American. Rivals.com ranked him as the nation’s second-best high school prospect behind Michael Beasley.

Throughout summers, Gordon participated in AAU competitions and Adidas Superstar camps alongside future NBA talents such as Mike Conley Jr., Derrick Rose, and Greg Oden.

Recruitment

In 2005, during his sophomore year, Gordon gave a verbal commitment to Bruce Weber at the University of Illinois despite recruitment interest from Duke, Arizona, and Notre Dame. His choice was influenced by Illinois’ proximity to home and its track record of developing NBA-caliber guards like Deron Williams and Luther Head.

Early in 2006, amid speculation about Indiana University coach Mike Davis potentially stepping down following disappointing team results, Indiana appointed Kelvin Sampson in March. Sampson’s staff included Jeff Meyer—who had previously coached Gordon Sr.—thereby strengthening connections to Gordon’s family.

Mid-2006 rumors suggested Gordon might reconsider his commitment to Illinois due to doubts about its incoming recruiting class; although he publicly remained committed, he expressed interest in Indiana, a program he had long admired. He even tried to persuade fellow top recruit Derrick Rose to join Illinois; however, Rose declined.

As Indiana’s program gained momentum under Sampson and Gordon’s national ranking rose, speculation intensified about a possible switch in commitment. In September 2006, Gordon and Rose participated unofficially in scrimmages with Indiana players. On October 13, 2006, Gordon formally changed his commitment to Indiana and subsequently signed a National Letter of Intent on November 8, 2006.

Aftermath

Gordon’s decision secured Indiana a highly regarded 2007 recruiting class, which some experts ranked as the third-best nationwide. Coaches criticized Sampson and Weber for inadequate communication during Gordon’s recruitment process. Although verbal commitments are not governed by the NCAA, certain observers considered Sampson’s recruitment of a verbally committed player without Weber’s input to be questionable in terms of ethics.

This development negatively impacted Illinois, which had anticipated Gordon joining its roster and was subsequently left without a shooting guard after other prospects committed elsewhere. In December, Illinois signed Quinton Watkins, a top 100 shooting guard; however, due to complications with the NCAA Academic Clearinghouse, Watkins never played for Illinois and eventually enrolled at San Diego State.

Indiana supporters greeted Gordon’s arrival with enthusiasm, whereas Illinois fans expressed disapproval because he publicly maintained his commitment to Illinois until shortly before officially signing with Indiana. Eric Sr. revealed that his son received death threats following the announcement, though Gordon later stated that Illinois fans mostly conveyed their desire for him not to succeed. On February 7, 2008, during a game between Indiana and Illinois held in Champaign, Gordon faced loud boos and jeers from the crowd. The Gordon family’s "Got Gordon?" shirts further provoked Illinois supporters. Eric Sr. responded by making an offensive gesture toward the fans, which shifted much of the animosity toward himself. Reports indicated that near the game's conclusion, his parents were targeted with ice, bottles, and beads thrown by spectators. Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther issued an apology, describing the fan conduct as "disappointing and intolerable."

College career

Gordon enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington (IU), where he played shooting guard for the Hoosiers during his freshman year while intending to major in sports management. Throughout that season, he garnered multiple accolades such as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third-team All-American honors. He set IU’s record for most points scored by a freshman with 669 points, establishing a new Big Ten benchmark. Additionally, Gordon was nominated for both the Wooden and Naismith Awards and earned second-team All-American status from CBSSports.com. He chose to wear jersey number 23, consistent with his high school tenure.

He averaged 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 33.7% from beyond the arc, leading the Big Ten in scoring. His performance was particularly strong during the first 18 games as IU achieved a 17–1 record; however, his shooting declined late in the season with just an 18.6% three-point percentage after February 7. This slump extended into IU’s first-round defeat against Arkansas in the 2008 NCAA tournament. Throughout much of the second half of that game, Gordon played despite suffering from a wrist injury.

On March 10, 2008, he was honored as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned First Team selections by both coaches and media alongside teammate D. J. White. He also secured third-team All-American recognition.

On April 4, 2008, Gordon declared for the 2008 NBA draft.

Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2011)

Selected seventh overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, Gordon immediately demonstrated his scoring prowess by averaging 19 points and 6.5 rebounds across two NBA Summer League contests before a hamstring injury curtailed his participation.

During the 2008 pre-season, he scored 33 points in only his second exhibition match. On January 23, 2009, Gordon set a new rookie scoring record for the Clippers with 41 points—a mark later surpassed by Blake Griffin. His outstanding play earned him NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for January after posting averages of 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and placed fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Gordon took part in the inaugural Sprite All-Star Slam Dunk-In during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend and was named to the sophomore team for both the T-Mobile NBA Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam events. That season saw him average 16.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over 62 games (starting in 60), leading his team in scoring on sixteen occasions.

Following his contribution to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, Gordon entered the subsequent NBA season poised for significant advancement. Unfortunately, a wrist injury caused by a foul sidelined him for eighteen games while he was averaging an impressive 24.1 points per contest. After returning to play, re-injuring his wrist led to an additional six-game absence. Despite these setbacks, he finished as the Clippers’ second-highest scorer with averages of 22.3 points, along with contributions of 2.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game—highlighted by eight games scoring over thirty points and a streak of twelve consecutive contests with twenty or more points scored.

2011–2013: Early period in New Orleans

On December 14, 2011, the Clippers completed a trade sending Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a 2012 first-round pick to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for future teammate Chris Paul along with two second-round picks slated for the future. In his inaugural game with the Hornets against the Phoenix Suns, Gordon contributed 20 points and nailed the decisive shot, securing an 85–84 victory for New Orleans. Unfortunately, during this match, he worsened a pre-existing knee injury. Initially, the diagnosis was a bone bruise; however, further assessments revealed damage to the cartilage. On February 14, 2012, Gordon underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee and was expected to be out of action for six weeks. He made his comeback on April 4, putting up 15 points in a tight 94–92 win over the Denver Nuggets.

That season, Gordon appeared in nine games and averaged 20.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest. He entered the summer of 2012 as a restricted free agent.

On July 11, 2012, Gordon agreed to a four-year offer sheet worth $58 million with the Phoenix Suns, which the Hornets matched three days later to retain him. Throughout the offseason, ongoing knee complications persisted; although microfracture surgery was considered, a second medical opinion recommended continued rehabilitation instead, estimating a recovery period of four to six weeks. On November 7, 2012, he traveled to Los Angeles to undergo specialized quadriceps strengthening therapy.

Gordon returned to action on December 29, 2012, scoring 24 points off the bench in a narrow 98–95 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. To safeguard his knee health, team physicians limited him from playing on consecutive nights and restricted his playing time to under 30 minutes per game. On January 5, 2013, he rejoined the starting lineup and secured a game-winning free throw in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks. By April 10, medical restrictions were lifted, allowing him to participate in back-to-back games.

He concluded that season as New Orleans' top scorer with averages of 17.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across 42 appearances. In April 2013, the franchise adopted the new name New Orleans Pelicans.

2013–2016: Playoff debut and injury challenges

On November 29, 2013, Gordon tallied 26 points along with seven assists during a commanding 121–105 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 15, 2014, he recorded a season-high of 35 points on efficient shooting (11-for-17) plus six assists in a close defeat to the Houston Rockets. Then on March 4, Gordon’s contribution of 28 points—including four three-pointers and perfect free-throw shooting—helped snap an eight-game losing streak with a road victory of 132–125.

Gordon exited a game on March 21, 2014 due to knee tendinitis and subsequently underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 10 that ended his campaign early. That season he averaged 15.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists over a total of 64 games.

During the following season (2014–15), after posting an average of 9.5 points across his first dozen games, Gordon suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder on November 22 which sidelined him for twenty-one contests. He made his return on January 5, 2015 and initiated a streak where he hit at least one three-pointer in thirty-six consecutive games. Gordon closed out that year averaging 13.4 points per game alongside averages of 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists through sixty-one appearances.

Despite facing setbacks from injuries, Gordon produced his most effective season shooting from beyond the arc by converting at a rate of 44.8% (141-of-315), ranking second league-wide behind Kyle Korver. His efforts contributed significantly toward guiding the Pelicans into postseason play. In his playoff debut, he scored sixteen points including four three-pointers during a loss to the Golden State Warriors. He then posted a playoff career-high of twenty-nine points in Game Four; however New Orleans was ultimately swept in that opening round.

On June 18, 2015, Gordon opted to exercise his player option for the upcoming (2015–16) season.

Gordon started all forty-one games for New Orleans at the beginning of that season before fracturing his right ring finger on January 19—a fracture that required surgery and forced him out for an estimated four to six weeks. Upon returning on February 27, he led the team with thirty-one points in a narrow defeat against Minnesota but soon re-aggravated the finger injury shortly afterward. This led to another surgical procedure which prematurely concluded his season.

2016–2019: Sixth Man Award and Conference Finals Appearance

On July 9, 2016, Gordon committed to the Houston Rockets by signing a four-year deal worth $53 million. He made his first appearance on October 26, contributing 19 points in a defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers. On November 27, he tallied 26 points, including six three-pointers, helping secure a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. A week later, on December 7, Gordon achieved a personal best by sinking eight three-pointers and scoring 26 points off the bench in a win versus the Lakers. On December 16, he recorded 29 points as the Rockets set an NBA record with 24 made three-pointers during their triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, on January 2, 2017, he notched a season-high 31 points in a win against the Washington Wizards.

During the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend, Gordon captured the Three-Point Contest title, narrowly defeating Kyrie Irving. On March 4, he added 18 points and contributed six of Houston's total eighteen three-pointers in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, concluding the campaign with an NBA record of 180 three-pointers made off the bench across 49 games. Over 75 games that season, he averaged 16.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists and earned the distinction of NBA Sixth Man of the Year, marking the first time a player from the franchise received this honor.

On October 25, 2017, Gordon scored a then-season-best 29 points and delivered a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers. He followed that with a 33-point performance featuring seven three-pointers on December 18 in a win over the Utah Jazz. On March 27, 2018, he matched his career high by making eight three-pointers and scoring 31 points during a victory against the Chicago Bulls. In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Gordon’s crucial steal and 24 points contributed to a narrow 98–94 win over Golden State that gave Houston a series advantage; however, they eventually fell in seven games.

On November 26, 2018, Gordon posted a season-high of 36 points in an overtime loss to the Washington Wizards. After missing eight contests due to a bruised knee, he returned on January 16, 2019, scoring 20 points in another overtime defeat against the Brooklyn Nets. On April 7, he equaled his career high by sinking eight three-pointers in a commanding win over the Phoenix Suns. During Game 3 of Houston’s second-round playoff matchup with the Golden State Warriors, Gordon scored a playoff career-high of 30 points while hitting seven three-pointers in an overtime victory. Ultimately, however, the Rockets were eliminated in six games.

2019–2023: Seasons Marked by Injuries

On September 4, 2019, Gordon agreed to a four-year contract extension valued at $75.6 million with Houston. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on November 13, causing him to miss approximately six weeks. On January 27, 2020, Gordon achieved a career-high scoring output of 50 points during a 126–117 victory over the Utah Jazz, becoming the first Rocket besides Harden to reach that mark in nearly two and a half decades. In Houston’s second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on September 4, Gordon contributed 23 points in Game 1; nevertheless, the Rockets were defeated in five games.

The following season (2020–21) saw significant roster changes as Houston traded away All-Star guard Russell Westbrook and subsequently dealt franchise cornerstone James Harden along with P.J. Tucker. Gordon managed a season-high of 33 points on January 23 but was sidelined from March onward due to a groin strain that prematurely ended his season after only participating in 27 games. The Rockets concluded with a disappointing record of 17–55 and missed postseason play for the first time since 2012.

On December 13, 2021, Gordon recorded his highest scoring output of that season with 32 points during a win over the Atlanta Hawks. However, another groin injury sustained in March ruled him out for the remainder of that campaign as Houston once again failed to reach the playoffs.

On February 3, 2023, Gordon posted a season-best performance of 28 points despite falling short against the Toronto Raptors.

Return to the Clippers (2023)

On February 9, 2023, Gordon was involved in a three-team trade that sent him back to the Los Angeles Clippers, with the Memphis Grizzlies also participating in the transaction. Later, on June 28, 2023, the Clippers released him from their roster.

Phoenix Suns (2023–2024)

Gordon agreed to a contract with the Phoenix Suns on July 6, 2023. He chose to forgo his $3.4 million player option for the 2024–25 season on June 27, 2024, thus entering free agency.

Philadelphia 76ers (2024–present)

On July 10, 2024, Gordon signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout the 2024–25 campaign, he participated in 39 games, starting in 13 of them, and posted averages of 6.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. On February 26, 2025, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist, which caused him to miss three months and prematurely conclude his season.

After declining his $3.4 million player option on June 29, 2025, Gordon became a free agent but rejoined the 76ers on July 1 by signing a one-year deal worth $3.6 million.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 78 || 65 || 34.3 || .456 || .389 || .854 || 2.6 || 2.8 || 1.0 || .4 || 16.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 62 || 60 || 36.0 || .449 || .371 || .742 || 2.6 || 3.0 || 1.1 || .2 || 16.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 56 || 56 || 37.7 || .450 || .364 || .825 || 2.9 || 4.4 || 1.3 || .3 || 22.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 9 || 9 || 34.5 || .450 || .250 || .754 || 2.8 || 3.4 || 1.4 || .4 || 20.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 42 || 40 || 30.1 || .402 || .324 || .842 || 1.8 || 3.3 || 1.1 || .2 || 17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 64 || 64 || 32.1 || .436 || .391 || .785 || 2.6 || 3.3 || 1.2 || .2 || 15.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 61 || 60 || 33.1 || .411 || .448 || .805 || 2.6 || 3.8 || .8 || .2 || 13.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 45||44||32.9||.418||.384|| .888 ||2.2||2.7||1.0||0.3||15.2 |-

|style="text-align:left;" | 
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston 
|75||15||31.0||.406||.372||.840||2..7||2..5||0..6||0..5||16..2

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston 
|69||30||31..2||..428||..359||..809||2..5||2..2||0..6||0..4||18..0

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston 
|68||53||31..7||..409||..360||..783||2..2||1..9||0..6||0..4||16..2

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston 
|36||15||28..2||..369||..317||..766||2..0||1..5||0..6||0..3||14..4

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston 
|27||13||29..2||..433||..329||..825||2..1||2..6|||0..5|||0..5|||17..8

|-

|style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 | 
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |Houston 
|57||46|||29..3|||.475|||.412|||.778|||.778|||.778|||.778

|-

|style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 | 
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |Houston 
|- 
|- class=sortbottom

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2015 | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | 4 || 4 || 35.8 || .444 || .406 || .833 || 2.3 || 3.8 || .5 || .5 || 18.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2017 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 11 || 2 || 32.6 || .421 || .386 || .722 || 3.9 || 2.0 || .7 || .5 || 12.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2018 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 17 || 2 || 32.3 || .380 || .331 || .836 || 2.6|| 1.6 || .6 || .5 || 15.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2019 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 11 || 11 || 37.2 || .447 || .400 || .857 || 2.5 || 1.3 || .6 || 1.0 || 17.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2020 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 12 || 12 || 34.1 || .409 || .322 || .875 || 2.7 || 3.0 || .8 || .6 || 17.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2023 | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 5 || 5 || 29.8 || .409 || .345 || .833 || 1.4 || 2.6 || .6 || .4 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2024 | style="text-align:left;"|Phoenix | 4 || 0 || 29.5 || .321 || .412 || .875||1.8||1.3||1.3||.5||8.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 64||36||33.4||.410||.361||.838||2.7||2.1||.7||.6||15.1

College

|- | style="text-align:left;" | 2007–08 | style="text-align:left;" | Indiana |32||32||34.7||.433||.337||.834||3.3||2.4||1.3||.6||20.9

USA

During nine appearances representing Team USA at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, Gordon posted an average of 8.6 points per game, ranking second on the squad in both three-pointers made (19) and shooting accuracy from beyond the arc (.452), helping the United States maintain an undefeated (9–0) streak en route to capturing the gold medal.

The Bahamas

On August 7, 2023, FIBA authorized Gordon's nationality change to represent the Bahamas men's national basketball team. Leading the Bahamas during the 2024 FIBA Men's Pre-Qualifying Olympic Qualifying Tournaments – Americas, he delivered a team-best performance with 27 points in the final match, securing their qualification for the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Personal life

Gordon’s mother, Denise, hails from Nassau, The Bahamas. She met Gordon Sr., who played collegiate basketball at Liberty University and remains ranked as the institution's eighteenth all-time leading scorer.

He has two younger brothers: Evan and Eron. Evan competed in college basketball at Liberty (2009–2011), Arizona State (2012–13), and Indiana (2013–14). Eron played at Seton Hall (2016–18) before transferring to Valparaiso University (2019–21).

In November of 2020, Gordon opened "Eric Gordon's Greek's Pizzeria" located in Bloomington, Indiana, directly opposite Memorial Stadium.

NBA

Recipient of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2017
Winner of the NBA Three-Point Contest in 2017
Named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2009
Honored as the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January 2009

Overall Achievements

Recipient of the LA Sports Award recognizing the 2010 Greatest Moments
Gold medalist at the 2010 FIBA World Championship
Awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2008
Selected for the First Team All-Big Ten in 2008
Earned Third Team All-American honors in 2008
Honored as Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year in 2007
Named a McDonald’s All-American in 2007
Included on the First-team Parade All-American list in 2007
Chosen as a Jordan Brand All-American in 2007
Received the title of Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2007
Listed on the Fourth-team Parade All-American roster in 2006

External links