Drew Gordon, who played nine games with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014-15 NBA season, tragically passed away on Thursday at the age of 33.

Gordon, the older brother of Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon, died in a car accident in Portland, Oregon, his agent Calvin Andrews confirmed to ESPN.

Gordon was born in San Jose, California and attended Archbishop Mitty High School. There, he was a four-year varsity letterwinner and three-time All-West Catholic Athletic League first teamer.

Gordon committed to UCLA out of high school, choosing the Bruins over other NCAA Division I programs such as North Carolina, Duke, Washington, Stanford, California, and Arizona, where his younger brother ended up attending.

He spent two seasons at UCLA, before transferring to New Mexico for his final two years of eligibility. UCLA Men’s Basketball posted on social media, “Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Drew Gordon, a former UCLA forward who has passed away at the age of 33.”

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Gordon chose New Mexico over Notre Dame, San Diego State, and UNLV, and made an immediate impact, winning the Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year award in his debut season. In his senior season, he made the All-MWC first-team and won the MWC tournament MVP award.

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New Mexico Basketball posted on social media, “We are heartbroken over the passing of Drew Gordon. A two-time all-conference forward, he helped us to the 2012 Mountain West title.”

Gordon went undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, and joined the Dallas Mavericks for the Summer League. Following the Summer League, he went overseas. Gordon ended up playing for 11 different international teams from 2012-23. In that time, he also appeared in nine games with the 76ers at the NBA level.

Michael Carter-Williams, a former Rookie of the Year winner who was teammates with Gordon in Philadelphia, posted on his social media, “Rest in paradise Drew Gordon. A great husband, father and teammate. (Aaron Gordon), I’m praying for you and your family. I love you and I’m sorry for your loss 💔.”

The Nuggets, for whom the younger Gordon has played the last three-plus seasons, posted on social media, “The Denver Nuggets organization is devastated to learn about the tragic passing of Drew Gordon. Drew was far too young to leave this world. But his legacy will forever live on through his three beautiful children and all of his loved ones. Our hearts are with Aaron and the Gordon family during this extremely difficult time.”

Gordon, who announced his retirement from professional basketball in July 2023, was married with three children.