USA Basketball Names Aaron Gordon 2013 Male Athlete Of The Year
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gold medal at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship and suited up for USA Basketball in the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, was named the 2013 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. “It’s a great honor,” Gordon said.
A
“USA Basketball is a really good pro- gram. I respect everybody associated with USA Basketball, so for them to recognize me as Male Athlete of the Year is an incredible feeling.” Coming off the bench in all nine
games at the FIBA U19 World Championship, Gordon averaged team- highs of 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game to go along with 2.0 steals in 18.8 minutes per game, and he was named MVP of the 16-team tournament. “Aaron is a great player, and the
thing I really give him and the rest of the players credit for is that every single one of those guys is a high-profile player and they all knew going in that there was going to be some form of sacrifice that was going to have to take place for us to win,” said Billy Donovan, USA and University of Florida head coach. “No one was going to score 25 points, no one was going to play 35 minutes, it had to be a collective group effort and their buy-in ability toward that was tremen- dous.”
Year Gordon also con-
tributed nine points for the 2013 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team, which fell to the World Select Team 112-98 on April 20 in Portland, Ore.
“USA Basketball
has known what a tremendous competitor
8
rizona freshman Aaron Gordon (San Jose, Calif.), who helped the USA to a
and teammate Aaron is since he first played for USA Basketball in 2011, and what he accomplished in 2013 was special,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO/ Executive Director. “To earn MVP of the U19 tourna- ment is remarkable, and to do it while coming off the bench is incredible. We are very proud to recognize his performance with this award.”
USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of
the Year Award was established in 1980 to recognize a USA Basketball athlete who, during the year of the award, made a significant impact on the success of his team’s performance. Gordon joins an impressive list of
past recipients, including Olympians: Ray Allen (1995), Carmelo Anthony (2006 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team), Tim Duncan (2003), Kevin Durant (2010), LeBron James (2012 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team), Michael Jordan (1984, 1983 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team), Jason Kidd (2007 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team), Christian Laettner (1991), Dan Majerle (1988), Danny Manning (1987), Reggie Miller (2002), Alonzo Mourning (2000, 1990), Shaquille O’Neal (1994), Chris Paul (2004 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team), Gary Payton (1999), Sam Perkins (1984), Scottie Pippen
Year Athlete
Claiming MVP honors at the FIBA U19 World Championship and helping the USA to the world U19 title, Aaron Gordon was named as USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year.
(1996 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team), David Robinson (1986 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team) and Isaiah Thomas (1980). Among all participants in the 2013
USA Basketball Male Athlete Of The Year Award Recipients Athlete
2013 Aaron Gordon 2012 LeBron James 2011
Jabari Parker
2010 Kevin Durant 2009 James McAdoo 2008 2008 USA Senior National Team 2007 Jason Kidd 2006 Carmelo Anthony 2005 Shelden Williams 2004 Sean May / Chris Paul 2003
Tim Duncan
2002 Reggie Miller 2001 Chris Duhon 2000 Alonzo Mourning 1999 Gary Payton 1998 Elton Brand 1997 Earl Boykins
1996 Scottie Pippen 1995 Ray Allen 1994 Shaquille O’Neal 1993 Michael Finley 1992 1992 U.S. Olympic Team 1991 Christian Laettner 1990 Alonzo Mourning 1989 Larry Johnson 1988 Dan Majerle 1987 Danny Manning 1986 David Robinson 1985 Chuck Person 1984 Michael Jordan / Sam Perkins 1983 Michael Jordan 1982 Glenn Rivers 1981 Kevin Boyle 1980 Isiah Thomas
FIBA U19 World Championship, which was played June 27- July 9 in the Czech Republic, Gordon was tied for fourth in steals per game (2.0) and fifth for field goals made per game (5.8) and shoot- ing percentage (.612). He recorded two double-doubles, includ- ing team-highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds in a win against China on June 28 and 14 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Brazil on July 1.
Continued on page 15 USA Basketball News
Craig Miller/USA Basketball
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