Mad Respect For The Petty Reason Aaron Gordon Is Wearing Jersey No. 50 With The Denver Nuggets

Aaron Gordon decided to wear jersey No. 50 with the Denver Nuggets after feeling robbed in former Slam Dunk Contest

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When Aaron Gordon got traded to the Denver Nuggets from the Orlando Magic during the NBA Trade Deadline, it was a massive addition to the team’s roster, and only enhances their chances of being a serious contender in the Western Conference. Gordon, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, hasn’t exactly blossomed into the superstar some may have thought when he first entered the league, but he’s still an athletic marvel, and, if nothing else, is a consistent contributor.

Although Gordon isn’t a regular All-Star, he did make a name for himself at All-Star Weekends in the past. Remember, the athletic freak participated in the Dunk Contest in both 2016 and 2020, losing out in tight races with Zach LaVine and Derrick Jones Jr., respectively, with the latter competition robbing Aaron Gordon after Dwyane Wade seemed to conspire a plan to prevent him from winning the title.

Since D-Wade’s Dunk Contest voting debacle, Gordon has been on a mission to get the last word. Sure, he didn’t take home the dunk title in either year he participated, but he did release a salty diss track about Wade early on in the pandemic proving he hasn’t forgotten about what happened. And, just when you thought Aaron Gordon may move on from the Dunk Contest fiasco, he took things to another level after joining the Denver Nuggets.

That’s because Gordon chose No. 50 as his new jersey number. Was it because he loved Hall of Famer David Robinson? Was it because he’s a big fan of Chicago Bears great Mike Singletary? Nope. It’s because he’s still bitter about never receiving a perfect score of 50 in the Dunk Contest, and is using his jersey number to promote an upcoming documentary about his losses in the competition called Mr. 50.

Now, look, say what you want to about the pettiness level here from Aaron Gordon, but, personally speaking, I think it’s amazing. Who cares that the Dunk Contest is nothing more than an athletic freak show, where the biggest leapers in the league go to put on a show for both their peers and fans. The fact that Gordon is this mad about never winning deserves an applause, and shows he actually takes pride in his dunking ability.

For those interested in seeing what the Mr. 50 documentary looks like, check out the trailer below.

There have been a lot of different ways athletes have promoted themselves over the years — with “He Hate Me” from the original XFL famously taking things to an unprecedented level with his nickname on the back of his jersey — so Aaron Gordon’s sort of just doing the same thing here. Mad respect for doing so, too, because it’s both a brilliant business decision to bring attention to his documentary, stick a stake in the hearts of the judges who (he feels like) ripped him off in those Dunk Contests, and get the last laugh even though he never won the competition.

(H/T The Big Lead)