Eric Gordon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eric Gordon

Gordon with the Houston Rockets in 2019
No. 23 – Philadelphia 76ers
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1988-12-25) December 25, 1988 (age 36) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Nationality	American / Bahamian
High school	North Central (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College	Indiana (2007–2008)
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	2008–present
League	NBA
Career history
2008–2011	Los Angeles Clippers
2011–2016	New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans
2016–2023	Houston Rockets
2023	Los Angeles Clippers
2023–2024	Phoenix Suns
2024–present	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2017) NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2017) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2009) Third-team All-America – AP (2008) First-team All-Big Ten (2008) Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2008) McDonald's All-American (2007) First-team Parade All-American (2007) Fourth-team Parade All-American (2006) Indiana Mr. Basketball (2007)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA World Championship Gold 2010 Turkey National team

Eric Ambrose Gordon Jr. (born December 25, 1988) is a talented Bahamian-American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). When he was in high school, Eric was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in his final year. He played for North Central High School.

Eric Gordon was a top college player. He led the Big Ten conference in scoring during his freshman year. He averaged 21.5 points per game. In 2008, he entered the 2008 NBA draft and was picked seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Eric Gordon was born in Indianapolis. He started playing sports at age four. He first played soccer, then quickly switched to basketball. By age seven, he was playing competitive basketball.

High School Achievements

Gordon playing high school basketball in 2007

Eric went to North Central High School. He played varsity basketball all four years. In 2007, his team played against Loyola Academy. The game was even shown on ESPN. Eric scored a record 43 points that night. He later scored 50 points twice in the same season.

He led North Central to the Indiana 4A state title game. They lost to East Chicago Central. Eric averaged 29 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He shot very well from the field and three-point range. He was named Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" in 2007. He was also a McDonald's All-American. Experts ranked him as the second-best high school player in 2007.

During the summer, Eric played in many basketball tournaments. He played with future NBA stars like Derrick Rose and Greg Oden.

Choosing a College Team

In 2005, Eric Gordon verbally committed to play for the University of Illinois. He liked the coach and how close it was to his home. He also saw how well former Illinois guards did in the NBA.

Later, the head coach at Indiana University changed. The new coach, Kelvin Sampson, hired Jeff Meyer. Meyer was Eric's dad's college coach and a family friend. This made Eric think about Indiana again.

In July 2006, there were rumors Eric might change his mind. He was still committed to Illinois. But he was also thinking about Indiana. He had been a fan of the Indiana Hoosiers since he was a kid.

On October 13, 2006, Eric's dad announced that Eric had decided to play for Indiana. Eric officially signed with Indiana on November 8, 2006. This decision was a big deal in college basketball. It gave Indiana a very strong group of new players.

When Eric played against Illinois in 2008, some Illinois fans were upset. They booed him loudly during the game.

College Career Highlights

Eric Gordon played one year of college basketball at Indiana University. He played as a shooting guard for the Hoosiers. He planned to study sports management.

During his year at Indiana, Eric earned many awards. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He also made the third team All-American. He set a record for Indiana freshmen with 669 points. He was a candidate for important national awards.

Eric led the Big Ten in scoring. He averaged 20.9 points per game. He played very well for Indiana at the start of the season. The Hoosiers won 17 of their first 18 games. Eric played the second half of the season with a wrist injury.

On April 4, 2008, Eric announced he would enter the 2008 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2011)

The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Eric Gordon with the seventh pick in the 2008 NBA draft. In his first NBA Summer League game, he scored 23 points. He averaged 19 points in two summer league games.

In his second exhibition game, he scored 33 points. On January 23, he set a Clippers record for most points by a rookie with 41 points. He was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January. He averaged 16.1 points per game. He was chosen for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

In 2010, Eric participated in the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend. He was selected for the sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge. He finished his second season averaging 16.9 points per game.

In his third season, Eric was playing very well. He was averaging 24.1 points per game. But he got a wrist injury that made him miss 18 games. He returned and played well, but re-injured his wrist. He finished the season averaging 22.3 points per game.

New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2011–2016)

In December 2011, Eric was traded to the New Orleans Hornets. In his first game as a Hornet, he scored 20 points. He also hit the game-winning shot with 4.2 seconds left. The Hornets won 85–84.

Soon after, it was found that Eric had a knee injury. He had surgery on his knee in February 2012. He missed six weeks of games. He returned in April and played nine games that season. He averaged 20.6 points per game.

In July 2012, Eric signed an offer with the Phoenix Suns. But the Hornets matched the offer, so he stayed in New Orleans. He continued to have knee problems. He missed many games at the start of the 2012–13 season.

He returned in December 2012. He scored 24 points in his first game back. He helped the Hornets win. He finished the season averaging 17.0 points per game. In April 2013, the Hornets changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Eric continued to play for the Pelicans. He had strong scoring games in 2013 and 2014. However, he had more knee issues. In April 2014, he had surgery on his left knee, ending his season.

In the 2014–15 season, Eric suffered a shoulder injury. He missed 21 games. When he returned, he had his best three-point shooting year. He shot 44.8% from beyond the arc. This was the second-best in the league. He helped the Pelicans reach the playoffs. In his playoff debut, he scored 16 points. The Pelicans were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the first round.

In the 2015–16 season, Eric played well at the start. But in January 2016, he fractured a bone in his shooting hand. He had surgery and missed games. He returned in February but re-injured his finger in March. This ended his season.

Houston Rockets (2016–2023)

Eric Gordon playing for the Houston Rockets in 2016

In July 2016, Eric signed with the Houston Rockets. He scored 19 points in his first game with the team. On December 7, he made a career-high eight three-pointers. He scored 26 points. On December 16, he scored 29 points. The Rockets made an NBA record 24 three-pointers in that game.

On January 2, 2017, he scored a season-high 31 points. In February, Eric won the Three-Point Contest during the NBA All-Star Weekend. He set an NBA record for most three-pointers made off the bench in a season. He was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench.

In the 2017–18 season, Eric continued to be a key player. He hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored a season-high 33 points against the Utah Jazz. In the Western Conference Finals, he scored 24 points in a crucial Game 5. The Rockets lost the series in seven games.

In the 2018–19 season, Eric scored a season-high 36 points. He tied his career high with eight three-pointers. In the playoffs, he scored a career-high 30 points against the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets lost that series too.

Eric signed a contract extension with the Rockets in September 2019. He had knee surgery in November 2019. On January 27, 2020, Eric scored a career-high 50 points against the Utah Jazz. He was the first Rocket other than James Harden to score 50 points in 24 years. The Rockets reached the second round of the playoffs that year.

The 2020–21 season was tough for the Rockets. Eric scored a season-high 33 points in January 2021. But he suffered a groin injury in March. This injury ended his season. He only played 27 games. The Rockets missed the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

In the 2021–22 season, Eric scored a season-high 32 points in December 2021. He had another groin injury in March 2022. This ended his season early again. The Rockets missed the playoffs for a second straight year.

In February 2023, Eric scored a season-high 28 points.

Return to the Clippers (2023)

On February 9, 2023, Eric Gordon was traded back to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played 22 games for them that season. In June 2023, the Clippers waived him.

Phoenix Suns (2023–2024)

On July 6, 2023, Eric signed with the Phoenix Suns. He played one season for the Suns. In June 2024, he chose to become a free agent.

Philadelphia 76ers (2024–present)

On July 10, 2024, Eric Gordon signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

National Team Career

Playing for the USA

Eric played for Team USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. He averaged 8.6 points per game. He was second on the team in three-pointers made. The United States team won all nine of their games. They earned the gold medal.

Playing for The Bahamas

On August 7, 2023, FIBA allowed Eric to play for The Bahamas. He played in the 2024 Olympics Pre-Qualifying Tournament. In the championship game, Eric led The Bahamas with 27 points. This helped The Bahamas win the event. They earned a spot in the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Personal Life

Eric Gordon's mother, Denise, is from Nassau, The Bahamas. His father, Eric Sr., played basketball at Liberty University.

Eric has two younger brothers, Evan and Eron. Both of his brothers also played college basketball.

In November 2020, Eric opened "Eric Gordon's Greek Pizzeria" in Bloomington, Indiana. It is located near Indiana University's Memorial Stadium.

Accomplishments and Awards

NBA Honors

• NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2017)
• NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2017)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2009)
• NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month (January 2009)

Other Achievements

• LA Sports Award for 2010 Greatest Moments
• 2010 FIBA World Championship Gold Medalist
• 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• 2008 First Team All-Big Ten
• 2008 Third Team All-American
• Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year (2007)
• McDonald All-American (2007)
• First-team Parade All-American (2007)
• Jordan Brand All-American (2007)
• Indiana Mr. Basketball (2007)
• Fourth-team Parade All-American (2006)

See also

In Spanish: Eric Gordon para niños

• 2006 boys high school basketball All-Americans
• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders