It seems like Aaron Gordon wasn’t always the biggest fan of playing in Denver like he is now.
The Denver Nuggets forward recently went on an episode of Cam Johnson’s podcast, The Old Man and the Three, where he would turn back the clock to dive into the ins and outs of his trade to be shipped out from the Orlando Magic in 2021 to inevitably end up in the Mile High.
But before joining the Nuggets, Gordon didn’t have a ton of familiarity with the city; having only faced off against them a handful of times as he was playing in the Eastern Conference and didn’t love the times in which he did play there with the Magic –– even recalling one game in Denver that he couldn’t wait to be over with.
“No clue, because they were West, so we played them twice a year. And one time was in Denver, and I hated playing in Denver, coming from Orlando. I was like, man, get me out of here. I can’t wait for this game to be over,” Gordon said (at 30:55).
“And then the other time was in Orlando, where we would play them strong until… like three, four minutes to go, and then we would find a way to lose, or they would find a way to win. But other than that, I didn’t know much about them.”
Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon Hated Playing in Denver
Nov 28, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (C) looks on from the bench with center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Peyton Watson (8) in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Of course, that would be a feeling that Gordon would see shift in due time, as he now going on what’s his sixth year in Denver since arriving in his initial trade, and is able to hang onto the 2023 NBA Finals victory that came to form in just his second season with the team.
In fact, Gordon went on to note that one of his friends predicted the Nuggets’ championship outcome after his 2021 trade, simply due to how his fit would play into their existing core of talent.
“One of my homies was like, ‘Bro, you’re going to Denver? Y’all, they’re probably gonna win a chip.’ I was like, ‘You think so?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, probably, bro. Like, just the way that it’s set up. You might be that piece.”
That prediction, of course, turned out to have pinpoint accuracy, with the Nuggets still competing at a championship level heading into this season, with Gordon— now known as Mr. Nugget— being a core piece of it all.
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