The Denver Nuggets traded for Aaron Gordon seven years after the Magic selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft. There was a lot of pressure on AG to guide Orlando out of its rebuild and into a top team in the league, an outcome that never happened. He's always been a good player, but it wasn't until he arrived in Denver that he truly found his fit as a professional basketball player.
Gordon dreamed of becoming a pro basketball player when he was a little kid, as did many other current NBA players. The odds of that happening were low, but AG defied the odds. Not only that, but he's also won a championship, made even sweeter by the fact that it was the Nuggets' first in franchise history. There aren't many players who can say that.
Denver's championship momentum stalled out the past couple of years, but that wasn't because of Gordon. He's coming off his best playoff performance ever, one in which he made history. AG has only gotten better since the Magic traded him to the Nuggets, and once again, next season, he'll help Denver return to its championship form with a revamped roster.
Do you think that when Gordon was a little kid, he envisioned his basketball journey the way it has turned out? Probably not.
Aaron Gordon has fulfilled his lifelong dream (and then some)
One of the main reasons why AG has been so successful in Denver is that he accepted his role. He was no longer the star player. Gordon buying into the Nuggets' vision for him and the team is what's propelled him into the version of the player he is today.
He does a little bit of everything for Denver, including shooting threes, a part of his game that blossomed this past season. The combination of Gordon's versatility and athleticism is unparalleled.
Next season will be his 12th (!) in the league, so quite a lot of time has passed since his childhood dream became reality. You can bet that he doesn't take it for granted, though. If AG did, he probably wouldn't be where he is today — a key contributor on a contender.
Hopefully, many years down the road, when Gordon retires, he'll be able to say that he won multiple championships.