So, the Nuggets banned Aaron Gordon from team dinners after they won game 3. You’re probably wondering why, right?
After the Nuggets secured a big win in game 3, you would think the team would be celebrating together, right? Well, not quite. Aaron Gordon is banned from team dinners “until their good fortunes come to an end.”
“DJ, y’all going to team dinner?” Gordon asked Nuggets veteran DeAndre Jordan from across the locker room after their 112-97 win in Game 5 at Ball Arena on Tuesday night that gave them three straight wins and the 3-2 series edge.
Jordan, the resident organizer of the players-only affair that might go down in team lore if Denver survives this series, wouldn’t budge on his superstitious stance.
“Yeah — not you though,” Jordan answered back at Gordon. “We’ll see you next round (of the playoffs). Sorry, dawg. We’ll bring you some takeout though.”
Gordon, who had been so morose at this very locker when the Nuggets were crumbling just eight days before, offered a megawatt smile and a laugh.
“I understand,” Gordon said. “I understand.”
So, what did Gordon do to deserve an exile from off-nights of camaraderie and fine dining with his basketball brothers? He was the only player who didn’t make it to the dinner in Minneapolis on Thursday night when the Nuggets’ title defense was on the brink after those disastrous first two games against Minnesota. The gathering was just what they all needed to brighten the darkest of moods.
You know what happened next. The Nuggets started playing like the Nuggets again — chief among them (now) three-time MVP Nikola Jokić — and took Game 3 in dominant fashion. As such, with the basketball gods having deemed this dinner the secret to all that ailed them, the decision was made that Gordon would not be allowed to attend until their good fortunes came to an end.
So they wined and dined without him at the same restaurant again on Saturday night, then tied the series 2-2 the following evening at Target Center. Gordon, in turn, will now find himself flying solo in Minneapolis yet again. And truth be told, he couldn’t be happier about it.
Is there a more telling sign that these Nuggets will do everything they can to flip this script back in their favor? They’ve turned the narratives upside down in these past three games, in the kind of way you rarely see this time of year, and there’s no going back now — no matter how many lonely meals Gordon must endure in the process.
Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure – the Nuggets are serious about maintaining a positive team culture, and they’re not afraid to make tough decisions to ensure their success. Let’s see how this all plays out in the coming games.
