Getty Image
The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets are going to be without one of their key cogs for an indefinite period of time after he was attacked by a dog on Christmas.
According to reports, high-flying power forward Aaron Gordon, who is the team’s starting power forward, was bitten on the hand and face by a dog on Monday, December 25.
In total, Gordon — who the Nuggets say is in “good condition” — needed 21 stitches to tend to his injuries. Head coach Mike Malone said he’ll be away from the team for as long as he needs.
So far this season, Gordon is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 32 minutes per game for the defending champs, who currently sit second in the NBA’s Western Conference (they do, however, have the same number of wins, 22, as the #1 seed Minnesota Timberwolves at the time of this writing).
“He’s hanging in there. Obviously, a very traumatic experience and the most important thing I told him is that you take as much time as you need. We’re a family — wins, losses, and when people go through tough times like Aaron’s going through right now,” Malone told reporters on Wednesday the 27th.
“We have his back. We love him. We’re here for him. So whenever he’s able to come back, we’re going to open our arms up and embrace him. I told all the guys to make sure they’re reaching out to him, to make sure he’s never feeling like he’s on an island.”
While The Athletic originally reported the news of Gordon’s injury, it’s currently unclear how the attack happened, whose dog it was, and what kind of dog it was.
Gordon will be a big miss for the Nuggets while he’s away, as he’s been the team’s starting power forward ever since they acquired him in a trade with the Orlando Magic during the 2020-21 season.
During their title-winning season in 2022-23, Gordon started in 68 of 82 games and averaged 16.3 points (his highest mark as a member of the Nuggets), 6.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Gordon was originally drafted by the Magic as the 4th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and is known for his elite athleticism, having appeared in the Slam Dunk Contest three times.
At the time of this writing, just a few days before New Year’s Eve, the Nuggets have the second-best setting odds to win this season’s Larry O’Brien Trophy, trailing only the Boston Celtics.