DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets secured another one of their core players by agreeing with forward Aaron Gordon on a four-year, $133 million contract extension Monday night.
The deal was confirmed through his representatives Calvin Andrews and Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, along with Elise Gordon, the older sister of the 29-year-old power forward who helped the Nuggets win their first NBA title in 2022-23.
Gordon’s new contract was completed a month after the Nuggets signed point guard Jamal Murray to a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension. The team already has three-time MVP Nikola Jokic signed through the 2026-27 season with a player option for 2027-28 and sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. through 2026-27.
Gordon, who is entering his 11th NBA season, averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, which were right around his career averages of 13.5 and 6.3.
Gordon was drafted by the Orlando Magic out of Arizona with the fourth pick in 2014. He was dealt to the Nuggets in March 2021 and has blossomed into a dependable player for coach Michael Malone.
Gordon is switching jersey numbers this season to No. 32 to honor his brother, Drew, who died this spring in an auto accident in Oregon.
Aaron Gordon said at media day the team supported him through the tragedy.
“These guys have been there for me every step of the way,” Gordon said. “These guys have really developed into people that I would call my brothers.”
AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed.
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Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, left, drives past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott (8) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, but travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport's drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
“Max hug time three minutes,” warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking “fonder farewells” should head to the airport’s parking lot instead.
The cuddle cap was imposed in September to “keep things moving smoothly” in the redesigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport, CEO Dan De Bono told The Associated Press on Tuesday. It was the airport’s way of reminding people that the zone was for “quick farewells” only.
The signs had polarized social media users, De Bono said.
“We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for," he said, adding that others had welcomed the change.
The signs were meant as an alternative to those at other airports warning of wheel clamping or fines for drivers parked in drop-off areas. Some in Britain have imposed fees for all drop-offs — however brief.
Dunedin's airport — a modest terminal serving a city of 135,000 people on New Zealand's South Island — preferred a “quirky” approach, De Bono said.
Three minutes was "plenty of time to pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on,” he said. “The time limit is really a nicer way of saying, you know, get on with it.”
A 20-second hug is long enough to release the wellbeing-boosting hormones oxytocin and serotonin, De Bono said. Anything longer was “really awkward.”
But passengers need not worry unduly about enforcement. “We do not have hug police," De Bono said.
Visitors might, however, be asked to move their lingering embraces to the parking lot, where they can cuddle free of charge for up to 15 minutes.
A sign for the drop off area is displayed at the Dunedin airport in Momona, New Zealand, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. The New Zealand airport has imposed is a three-minute time limit on farewell hugs in the drop off area to prevent traffic jams. Travellers wanting to embrace for longer can relocate to the parking lot. (Sarah Soper/Dunedin Airport via AP)
A sign for the drop off area is displayed at the Dunedin airport in Momona, New Zealand, Oct. 8, 2024. The New Zealand airport has imposed is a three-minute time limit on farewell hugs in the drop off area to prevent traffic jams. Travellers wanting to embrace for longer can relocate to the parking lot. (Sarah Soper/Dunedin Airport via AP)
A sign informing time limits for visitors to the passenger drop-off area outside Dunedin Airport in Momona, New Zealand, Oct. 8, 2024. Travelers wanting to embrace for longer can relocate to the parking lot. (Sarah Soper/Dunedin Airport via AP)
A sign informing time limits for visitors to the passenger drop-off area outside Dunedin Airport in Momona, New Zealand, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Travelers wanting to embrace for longer can relocate to the parking lot. (Sarah Soper/Dunedin Airport via AP)
