"Jokic brothers jumped him" - NBA fans stunned over Aaron Gordon's black eye & swollen lip ahead of Nuggets playoffs opener

By Miguel de Guzman

Modified Apr 19, 2025 14:11 GMT

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at Denver Nuggets - Source: Imagn — NBA fans react to Aaron Gordon's obvious black eye and swollen lip (Photo credits: IMAGN)

Aaron Gordon and the Denver Nuggets are getting ready for their first-round playoff matchup. The fourth-seed Nuggets (50-32) are looking to win their second title in three years, and that quest begins against the fifth-seed LA Clippers (50-32) on Saturday.

Ahead of the matchup, Gordon spoke with the media on Friday to talk about his team's chemistry. However, fans noticed something else from his interview — he appeared to have a black eye and a swollen lip.

Some fans came up with various answers as they guessed where it might have come from.

While some fans tried to guess, some couldn't help but ask about it or point it out.

Aaron Gordon isn't sure where he got his black eye from

NBA players, especially big men, are often jostling for position with each other in the paint and boxing each other out. This could lead to inadvertent contact, which sometimes causes black eyes, such as the one seen on Aaron Gordon.

During his session with the media, Gordon was asked about the black eye. An interviewer asked where it came from after saying people have been concerned about it.

The last time Gordon played was against the Houston Rockets on Sunday during the Nuggets' season finale. There weren't any major incidents in that game, but hints of the black eye could already be seen in that contest.

It was already visible in the first quarter and was quite evident even in his highlight reel from that game. It could be seen during the 0:25 mark and the 1:23 mark of the highlight video that the Nuggets uploaded to YouTube.

However, it did not seem to bother him as he recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. His well-rounded performance helped Denver to a 126-111 victory over the Rockets, which also helped them secure the fourth seed.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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