Former NBA player, San Jose native Drew Gordon dies in car accident at age 33

Former NBA player and Archbishop Mitty alumni Drew Gordon died Thursday in a vehicle crash in Oregon. He was 33 years old.

Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says they arrived on scene to see a Vanderhall Carmel collided with a GMC pickup. They say Gordon was driving the Vanderhall and died at the scene. A Carmel is a three-wheeled motorcycle and not a car. Vanderhall has advisories on its website saying these vehicles don’t have airbags.

Gordon played nine games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 season.

A native of San Jose, Gordon’s pro basketball journey also included stops in the G League, Serbia, Sardinia, Turkey, France, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and three different teams in Russia.

The former McDonald’s All-American played collegiately at UCLA and New Mexico.

“I wish they would’ve got the chance to see what a big heart he had and what a tremendous person,” said Brian Eagleson, current Athletic Director at Mitty and Gordon’s high school coach.

Gordon was basketball prodigy at school. He helped Mitty achieve two CCS championships.

“He was so competitive,” Eagleson said. “He had a motor that just didn’t stop. If I didn’t keep score, he wasn’t as interested in the drill we were doing in practice, but the moment there was a consequence or a scoring task, then it was win at all costs.”

A competitor on the court, but an even better man off the court, according to Eagleson.

“I don’t think people realize how selfless he was,” he said. “He didn’t care how many points he scored. He cared that he was a major factor in the game and that we won.”

Mitty’s success continued after Gordon left. His brother Aaron helped them achieve state titles in basketball. Aaron now plays for the Denver Nuggets.

“He was such an impactful person,” said Tim Kennedy, the current men’s coach at Mitty. “He really set the tone for the high-level competitiveness that is expected at Archbishop Mitty.”

Gordon is survived by his wife and three children.

“I’ve gotten to see his evolution into a fabulous man and husband and father,” Eagleson said. “I miss him”

ESPN contributed to this report.