Denver’s Aaron Gordon is no stranger to absolutely ridiculous dunks.
The 6-foot-9 forward from the University of Arizona had two of the all-time best performances in the history of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, though he failed to win in either 2016 or 2020.
Gordon has thrown down 85 dunks so far this season, which ranks as the second-best in the NBA behind only Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He had 7 dunks against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. That was the second-highest total of his career and tied for the most on record in an NBA game played on Christmas.
AARON GORDON DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
NUGGETS LEAD ON ABC/ESPN 😱#NBAXmas 🎄🎁 pic.twitter.com/n0jn4qqaiX
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
But he had one dunk in overtime that probably should have counted for six dunks because it was so impressive and had such a high impact on the final outcome of the game.
Gordon sprinted the ball up the court in transition before he eventually took off from an impossibly far distance. Phoenix’s Landry Shamet was waiting to take a charge, but Gordon was already set to take flight.
The officials originally called a charge on Gordon but reversed the call and Denver increased their 1-point lead to a 3-point deficit.
You can watch every angle of Gordon’s wild accomplishment below:
EVERY ANGLE OF AARON GORDON'S RIDICULOUS DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE 🎬🤯 pic.twitter.com/bFEzWMvRHD
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
This was a big win for the Nuggets, who now enjoy sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.
Gordon, meanwhile, is enjoying what is arguably the best campaign of his professional career thus far. He has become one of the most efficient players in the league, especially when scoring at the rim.
In fact, the only players with more total shots made at the rim this season are just Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James.
Gordon, who is averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting a career-best 39.0 percent on 3-pointers, deserves serious consideration for the 2023 All-Star Game.
