Aaron Gordon on Guarding LeBron & Why Nuggets Can Go Back to Back

Aaron Gordon Practice Press Conference before playing Lebron James and the Las Angeles Lakers. Aaron Gordon shares insights during a post-practice press conference led by Coach Michael Malone as the Denver Nuggets prepare for the playoffs. Gordon discusses his approach to guarding LeBron James, emphasizing the need for a team effort and the challenges of defending someone he regards as possibly the greatest of all time. He also reflects on his experiences and growth with the team, conveying a strong sense of confidence and readiness to defend their title, underscoring the collective focus and camaraderie within the squad. The dialogue highlights the Nuggets’ strategy and mindset as they aim to go back-to-back in the upcoming NBA playoffs.

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uh what did you learn from last year
maybe help you this year guarding in the
playoff uh well it’s a team game you
know so it’s not one-onone out there
we’re going to need all Five Guys to
make it difficult for
him we’re going to need all Five Guys to
make it difficult for him I’m just
trying to make uh make his job hard you
know make it hard on him you know he’s
alltime great
um you know arguably arguably the goat
you know so um he’s GNA get to what he’s
trying to get to but I just got to make
it difficult on
him have you always guarded LeBron
throughout your career you back in
Orlando yeah yeah yeah every time and um
I was so excited to guard LeBron my
first first time matching up with him I
was guarding him 94 ft he was probably
like man this young
punk
man what was uh what was Calvin just
telling you just now is that you sort of
have a relationship with him to where
you guys can sort of talk over
basketball stuff yeah I mean we were
just talking about um you appreciate how
we manag the season and uh good luck we
have a good chance of winning but other
than that you know I’m going just keep
that conversation between us to ad how
do you personally Embrace kind of the
figurative and maybe literal Target that
you guys have on your back this year
with I know Jamal’s been wearing the
champ shirt on his uh in practice I mean
how do you guys Embrace that you
personally as
well um honestly we’re more focused on
uh just improving you know being better
um we’re not worried about uh how other
teams view us or or the the perception
of us you know we’re more worried about
um the collective that’s in this locker
room um and just being the best team
that we possibly be being the best
teammates that we could possibly be and
executing um other than that we we don’t
really worry about that we worry about
just what we can control and um yeah let
the cards fall where they will Aaron
what can you take from the regular
season that apply to to
the um you know I thought we bought we
uh built some good habits throughout the
regular season
um yeah I just think we just need to do
what we’ve been doing all season long
just better where do you feel like
they’ve improved the most since when you
played them last spring to
now
um well I mean they probably have a
little bit more
continuity um than they did last
year um probably a better understanding
of what they’re trying to accomplish um
out there guys are probably more
comfortable like I guess it’s just a
continuity bump coach said yesterday
that he wanted you guys to have a
selfish mindset to keep what you earned
last year instead of last year when you
were trying to win a championship do you
sense that this team has a selfish
mindset to keep what you guys earned
last year we have a lot of Pride it’s a
very prideful group a very competitive
group um and we’re here to repeat we’re
here to go back back that’s our goal we
have no other goal other than that um 16
wins um being the last team in the NBA
with a win um but it takes one game at a
time one play at a time um and we have a
very selfless group when it comes to
playing with each other so I think that
will help us um accomplish what we set
out to to accomplish how much are you
looking forward to paying Wasson have a
much larger home um this time around
post season I think is big I think’s
huge we’re going to need him we’re going
to need everybody Pew especially on the
defensive end his ability to to um make
plays on both sides of the ball is is
incredible he has a great feel for the
ball great nose for the ball um and he’s
going to be big for us to win this wi at
all what advice do you give to someone
like that who’s about to get his first
real playoff
minutes uh say don’t focus on uh winning
or losing don’t focus on the
championship just focus on each play you
know make each play your your
Masterpiece you know be present in the
moment and um yeah just give everything
you have to One play at a time uh give
everything that you have on the
defensive end as well you know we have
such great um scores on this team
between Jamal Mike uh Joker um that we
need to alleviate some of the pressure
on the defensive side
so they can feel free to play their game
sounded like uh like Jamal and Nicole
some of the guys you a dog big
sh uh some of the guys who were here
with a few for a few years with him
we’re really excited to see Wes on SEL
back in the building what’s it like
having him here and having another kind
of voice just involved man is great I
actually had Wes in Orlando so um and
then again in Denver so it’s great
having a familiar face around here and
just talking to him you know um just
another perspective great basketball
mind um and we’re appreciated that he’s
here when you when you kind of think of
the time that you’ve spent with him in
in those two spots what do you are the
memories that you think of him as a
coach of things that kind of stand out
about him yeah I think just his ability
to uh dissect the game on the defensive
end um and his understanding of the game
I think his feel for it because his dad
play uh and he just he knows the G he
understands it he feels the flow of
it Aaron I asked this sincerely not to
be a wise guy but when you guard LeBron
the next because he’s so physical you’re
a little sore the next day just because
he seems to really body you up and try
to you know kind of run through guys
occasion I don’t get sore okay you’re
asking the wrong
guy why don’t you get sore I don’t know
thank God for the man upstairs you know
I blesses the man upstairs but I’m I’m
good man after one of those Landings you
you told us to check in the next day
about about how you were feeling and I
don’t know if we ever did were you not
sword that day I kind of
tickled Jamal mentioned yesterday that
had they won 16 games last year guys
have a better sense of what to prepare
for mentally What It Takes how long it
is do you relate to that at all do you
feel like you you’re just more prepared
for the whole journey this time um yeah
I I would say so you know we understand
what it takes um so we’ll know quickly
whether we’re at that level or
not um but you know you don’t want to
take it for granted uh you don’t want to
be cocky um you want to be confident and
um I think that’s where our group is at
right now I think we’re at a good
balance eron why do you believe that
this team can go back
to um we got some really special guys on
this te uh we got a two-time hopefully
three-time MVP um got um a bunch of
really really great talent uh unselfish
players that play for each other and I
think that’s what it comes down to um
when you are doing it for yourself
there’s a limit you you only get so high
but when you do it for the people around
you it uh it’s Limitless you know so we
do it for uh the person next to us and I
think that’s rewarded