Aaron Gordon gets sandwiched during CIF Open Division championship game against Mater Dei. He won’t be eating sandwiches too often anymore after going No. 4 in NBA Draft. Photo: Willie Eashman.
The 2012 and 2013 Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year goes fourth overall in the NBA Draft to Orlando, but no other players from California were chosen until the second round. We have details plus list of every player from current CCS school who has ever been picked (none ever higher than Gordon this year).
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It was only fitting University of Arizona freshman forward Aaron Gordon was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
After all, the 6-foot-8 and a half forward from Archbishop Mitty of San Jose proved over the last three years he’s among the very best in what shaped up as a fantastic group of players selected Thursday night.
Three years ago, Gordon proved he belonged among the nation’s elite when he was California’s first junior to earn Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball honors since Tyson Chandler of Dominguez of Compton in 2000. As a senior, he was in the running for Mr. Basketball USA honors along with eventual winner Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) and Jabari Parker (Duke).
Gordon led Mitty to the first NorCal Open Division title, earned MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American Game and was the choice for Mr. Basketball once again.
Wiggins went No. 1 overall on Thursday to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Parker went No. 2 to the Milwaukee Bucks and then Gordon was selected after center Joel Embiid (Kansas), who was not a high school superstar in Florida, was taken No. 3 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
One of the most impressive things about Gordon’s rise is his age compared to his peers. Even after a season of college ball, Gordon won’t turn 19 years old until September 16. To put that in perspective, he’s actually younger than some high school players from the 2014 class.
Marcus Lee (left), Jabari Bird (middle) and Aaron Gordon all went to McDonald’s All-American Game in 2013 representing the Bay Area. Photo: Ronnie Flores.
Aaron’s mother, Shelley Davis Gordon, once told ESPN, “My son went to college at the age of 17 because I didn’t know people held their kids back for sports purposes.”
She should know a lot about academics, too. Aaron’s sister, Elise, went to Harvard after going to Mitty.
Gordon is the highest Californian draft pick since Derrick Williams was selected No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2011. Williams attended La Mirada High School. The only Californian ever picked No. 1 remains Bill Walton (Helix, La Mesa), who was the top choice in 1974 by Portland.
Gordon’s high school coach, Tim Kennedy, was ecstatic to see his former player picked early on Thursday.
“I am so excited for Aaron to make his dreams come true,” Kennedy said. “He deserves everything coming his way and he won’t stop working to get better. I’m so proud of him because he is so poised for being as old as a high school senior. He is going to make Orlando a better team because of all the little things he does to win.”
Other high California natives taken in the top 10 of the NBA Draft in recent years include NBA All-Star James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood) at No. 3 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. That same year, DeMar DeRozan was taken No. 9 by the Toronto Raptors and Gardena native Brandon Jennings was selected right after him at No. 10.
Another NBA All-Star taken in the top 10 was Paul George (Knight, Palmdale) at No. 10 by the Indiana Pacers in 2010. In 2012, the Portland Trailblazers selected Damian Lillard (Oakland High School) at No. 6.
The highest drafted player from a California high school in last year’s draft was Tony Snell at No. 20 by the Chicago Bulls. He was a high school teammate of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard at King of Riverside.
In the 2014 second round, former Taft of Woodland Hills teammates DeAndre Daniels (No. 37 to the Toronto Raptors) and Spencer Dinwiddie (No. 38 to the Detroit Pistons) were taken back-to-back. Dinwiddie played at Colorado and Daniels helped UConn with the NCAA title.
The fourth and final California product taken was Xavier Thames, the No. 59th pick overall by the Toronto Raptors. The former Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove product was 2014 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year at San Diego State. He began his college career at Washington State and was immediately traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
All-Time NBA First or Second Round
Draft Picks From CCS Schools
(This list includes those from schools that are now in the CCS but previously were in the North Coast Section. The NBA Draft actually has been going on longer than the CCS has been in existence.)
2014
No. 4 first-round Aaron Gordon (San Jose Archbishop Mitty) by Orlando.
2012
No. 36 second-round Orlando Johnson (Salinas Palma) by Sacramento (later trade to Indiana).
1999
No. 27 second-round Tim Young (Santa Cruz Harbor) by Golden State.
1993
No. 16 first-round Rex Walters (San Jose Piedmont Hills) by New Jersey.
1982
No. 22 first-round Mark McNamara (San Jose Del Mar) by Philadelphia.
1978
No. 22 first-round Ray Townsend (San Jose Camden) by Golden State.
1975
No. 7 first-round Rich Kelley (Woodside) by New Orleans.
1969
No. 7 first-round Bob Portman (San Francisco St. Ignatius) by S.F. Warriors.
1969
No. 13 first-round Bud Ogden (San Jose Lincoln) by Philadelphia.
1955
No. 5 first-round Ken Sears (Watsonville) by New York.
1950
No. 10 first-round Kevin O’Shea (San Francisco St. Ignatius) by Minneapolis Lakers.
Note: Perhaps the best CCS alum ever chosen in the third-round of an NBA Draft was Kurt Rambis (Cupertino). He went at No. 58 overall to the New York Knicks.
Mark Tennis contributed the CCS list to this post. He is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
Ronnie Flores is the managing editor of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
5 Comments
Bob Portman graduated Saint Ignatius in 1965, when Saint Ignatius was in the San Francisco Section and in the AAA.
The CCS was formed in 1965, before that time the schools in the CCS were in the NCS. So Ken Sears was a North Coast Section selection.
Kevin O’Shea was at Saint Ignatius, when SI was in the AAA and the San Francisco Section.
We knew that. Which is why it says current CCS schools. Thanks for input on lists.
Kevin Restani Archbishop Riordan 39th selection in the 1974 Draft by Milwaukee.
With 30 first round picks, now, this would be a second round choice instead of a third round when there were only 18 selections per round.
Pat, thanks for the input, I’ll be sure to make a notation of this. -Ronnie
Missed a Saint Ignatius player.
1950 first round 9th pick
Joe McNamee