Gordon was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2007 and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2008.
Eric Gordon was back where it all got started for Indianapolis native — at the JCC of Indianapolis, which is across the street and maybe 200 yards from his parents’ front door.
He spends the majority of his offseason in Los Angeles where his pro career began — the Clippers took him seventh overall in the 2008 draft — but he also makes his way back to Indy frequently.
To see his family.
To see his youngest brother hoop.
And to host his annual basketball camp.
All three brought him home this week. We all know time flies by once in college. Gordon started having his own basketball the summer he was drafted (2008) and he’s made it an annual thing. This week, he completed Year 7 of his basketball camp for kids K-12.
“It’s gone fast,” Gordon, reflected while seated on a chair as he watched campers scrimmage late Wednesday. “It’s also been good to always have a camp at the JCC. I’ve been here since I started playing basketball so it’s good to be around the kids as they grow up, too.”
Evan Gordon instructing campers.
Eric Jr.’s younger brothers, Evan and Eron, also work the camp. Evan served as the camp director while Eron, a member of the Indiana Junior All-Star team, helped out when he was available.
EJ, 26, just had a solid year with the Pelicans. It was his fourth season in New Orleans after being dealt by the Clippers primarily for Chris Paul three years in. And in 2014-15, Year 7 as a pro, Gordon finally participated in the postseason.
He averaged 18.5 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game as a starter on a Pelicans team that got swept in the first round by the Golden State Warriors, who are still alive and in the NBA Finals.
Gordon missed 21 games mid-year due to a shoulder injury but with the playoffs a real possibility, he passed on surgery.
“I never did get it,” Gordon told me. “I could always get it but I’m still determined to keep (playing without doing so) as long as I can.”
Gordon returned to action the first week in January despite a torn labrum in his left, non-shooting shoulder. He declined to have surgery once the season ended more than a month ago and instead has been enjoying his offseason training.
“This will be great because this is the first time in three years I haven’t had to deal with surgery or rehab,” said a relieved Gordon. “It’s just been good to get a chance to rest without be worry about rehabilitation and all that.”
Torn labrum and all, Gordon shot 44.8 percent from beyond the arc, which was second only to Atlanta’s Kyle Korver (49.2). Gordon was also second in attempts and makes per game behind Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors
“It was good. That was a great accomplishment,” Gordon said of his 3-point percentage. “It kind of goes to show early on in my career I was always good at creating fouls, getting to the basket and doing that. To be able to also show, even with a shoulder injury, that I could be one of the best 3-point shooters out there. Now it’s time for me to just put them together and show how dominant I can be.”
In two weeks, he’ll officially be an NBA player for seven years. After two stops and seven years in, I asked Gordon if he has a firm grasp on his place in The Association.
“Sometimes it’s a style of play that can really help you,” he answered. “You see it all the time around the league. A guy like Korver, you have a good coach that comes in and he’s able to thrive even more as a 3-point shooter.
“We’re going to start playing fast under Alvin Gentry and that should be an easy transition for me.”
Gordon started playing basketball at the JCC. Now he’s helping younger generations learn the game he loves.
Monty Williams, who came across as a cold coach, was fired after getting the Pelicans to the playoffs and replaced by veteran Alvin Gentry, the current associate head coach for the Warriors who was last the head man in Phoenix from 2008-2013.
“I’ve not heard anything but good things about him,” Gordon said of coach Gentry. “I remember when he was coaching the Phoenix Suns and they were playing very fast with Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire and all of those guys. He’s always been a guy that loves to play that run-and-gun system.”
Having said that, Gordon can decide if he remains in New Orleans. He holds a player option from the four-year deal he signed in 2012 worth $58 million. While he hasn’t gone on record stating he’ll finish out the contract, he’d be crazy not to.
He has 15.5 million reasons to stay, not to mention he’d be a starter on a playoff team featuring Anthony Davis, a rising star who’s already a top-ten player.
“It’s hard to turn down money like that when you can go forward into next year, when the cap is going to go up like crazy,” he said with a smile. “That’ll be a great year for free agents. We’ll see what happens. I’m going to let people know here in the next week or so.”
As he said, it all can work out nicely for him. Gladly accept the $15.5 million from the Pelicans, become a free agent and take full advantage of the lucrative TV money that is expected to balloon the cap and luxury tax threshold by double digits next summer, conveniently when Gordon will be back on the market.
Should he decline the final year on his deal, and he must make a decision by June 29th, it’s highly unlikely Gordon will receive similar kind of money elsewhere.
Gordon enjoys New Orleans, the variety of restaurants and food. There’s all kinds of festivals. He’s on what is already a very good team, a playoff team that he believed was better than their playoff seed (8) indicated, and now they have a new coach.
Suffice it to say, things are going very well for the North Central product.
