Aaron Gordon’s NBA season has come to an early end as the Denver Nuggets revealed on Wednesday that the 28-year-old basketball player suffered facial and hand lacerations from a dog bite on Christmas.
Reports from ESPN and The Athletic indicate that Gordon needed 21 stitches as a result of the incident. Although no specific date for his return was provided, the Nuggets assured that Gordon is in good condition, and further updates will be shared as necessary.
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On Christmas Day, prior to the unfortunate incident, Gordon played a crucial role in helping the Nuggets secure a 120-114 victory against the Golden State Warriors, contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Coach Michael Malone addressed the situation, emphasizing the team’s focus on Gordon’s comprehensive recovery before contemplating a return. “We’re not going to put any pressure on him. We need him to heal inside and out. Going through something like that is not something you come back from easily,” Malone stated. “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.”
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While expressing the team’s desire for Gordon’s return, Malone added, “But I want to support Aaron Gordon and make sure when he comes back, he’s ready to come back and play at the level that we know he’s capable.”
Teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shared his condolences and mentioned that the team learned about Gordon’s injury during practice. “My condolences go out to him. I know he’s feeling down right now, but I’m going to reach out today and just try to uplift him [and] make sure he’s good,” Caldwell-Pope said.
This injury follows Gordon’s absence in November and early December, where he missed four games due to a heel strain. After his return on December 2 against the Sacramento Kings, Gordon expressed discomfort, describing walking as feeling like “stepping on a stone.”
