Eric Gordon
The rookie who set a Clippers franchise record with 41 points in a game.
Eric Ambrose Gordon Jr. was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 NBA draft. He scored 23 points in his first NBA Summer League game. On January 23, he set a Clippers franchise record for most points scored by a rookie with 41 points. Gordon was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January. He averaged 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 34.3 minutes per game during his rookie season, and was the third leading scorer among all rookies.
- Role
- Shooting Guard
- Affiliation
- Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2011)
Lore & Background
Gordon's rookie season with the Clippers was marked by immediate scoring impact. In only his second exhibition game, he scored 33 points in 31 minutes to help defeat the Sacramento Kings 116–112. His 41-point game on January 23 set a franchise record for most points by a rookie, a mark later broken by Blake Griffin. Gordon's performance earned him Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for January. He finished his rookie year averaging 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, making him the third-highest scoring rookie in the league.
In Their Own Story
The Clippers drafted Gordon seventh overall in 2008, and he quickly showed why. In the Las Vegas Summer League, he scored 23 points in his first game. A hamstring injury cut his summer league short, but he returned for the preseason and dropped 33 points in 31 minutes against the Kings. Then came January 23: Gordon poured in 41 points, a new Clippers rookie record. The performance earned him Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors. By season's end, he averaged 16.1 points per game, the third-best among all rookies.
Reader's Guide
Eric Gordon was drafted seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 NBA draft. He played for the Clippers from 2008 to 2011. In his rookie season, he set a franchise record for most points by a rookie with 41 points on January 23. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January. Gordon averaged 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 34.3 minutes, finishing as the third-leading scorer among all rookies. He also scored 33 points in a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings.
Did You Know?
- Gordon set a Clippers franchise record for most points by a rookie with 41 points on January 23.
- He was named NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January.
- Gordon scored 33 points in his second preseason game, helping the Clippers beat the Kings 116–112.
- He averaged 16.1 points per game as a rookie, the third-highest among all rookies.
- Gordon injured his left hamstring during the 2008 Las Vegas Summer League, ending his participation early.