Eron Gordon knew he wanted to play professional basketball when he was around four or five years old. After watching his dad play the game from an early age, this Indianapolis, Indiana native quickly became intrigued by the opportunity to begin a journey of his own in the sport. Over the next several years, he did just that. In high school, Eron played at North Central and Cathedral—where he not only expanded his knowledge of the game as a four-year Varsity starter, but also started to hone in on the areas of his game that prompted his success on the court. He didn't stop there. Upon graduation, Eron embarked on his collegiate basketball career at Seton Hall—playing two seasons there before transferring to Valparaiso University after his sophomore year—and remained determined to inch closer to his dreams of playing professionally. He was on a mission. From being a focal point on offense to being relied on for rebounding and defensive assignments, Eron elevated his game further throughout his time in college. Before he knew it, the chance he had been working towards since a young age of playing professional basketball was here. Despite going undrafted in the NBA Draft, Eron was selected by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the 2022 NBA G League Draft and officially embarked on his professional basketball career. He had done it. He had secured an opportunity to play the sport he loved at the highest level. He hasn't looked back since. From becoming a West Conference G-League champion to playing in Spain, Eron has embraced every single experience throughout his time in the league. Focused on getting one-percent better every single day, Eron is excited to continue working towards his goal of playing in the NBA. Furthermore, he is looking forward to using his platform to give back to others and inspire the next generation of athletes through his speaking engagements, basketball clinics, and community outreach events.
Let’s start with your journey early on! How was that transition from high school to college like for you? What were some challenges that you faced early on and how did you work to navigate through those?
I would say it was definitely very tough—playing a different role, not being the focal point on your team, and being behind a lot of seniors that were already there, were used to the coach, and (were) used to the program. The speed and the physicality, I had no issue with at all. I think that was one thing with me that differed from probably a lot of other people—the speed and physicality didn't really affect me at all. I would say for me it was just kind of finding my niche—where the team would need me at. In the summer, I pretty much had to really focus on becoming a good defender and able to play the point.
You played two years at Seton Hall before continuing your career at Valparaiso. Could you share more with us about your time at each institution?
Yeah! I transferred after my sophomore year and came back home to play at Valparaiso. That was a really great decision. You know, being from Indiana, I would say most players dream to be a prominent player on a team in Indiana. I definitely wanted to jump at the opportunity to do something like that, and my time at Valpo was really unique. I had some really special moments at Valpo and it was a really good transition.
How do you think your game elevated throughout your time at Valpo to prepare you for the next level?
I would say it definitely made me a little bit more of a focal point on offense, but I think that the key (for my growth) was that they really relied on me to do a lot of things. Rebounding—I was one of the top rebounding guards in the country. They really relied on me to rebound. They relied on me to guard a lot of teams’ best players most nights. Those are things that, at most colleges, most guys aren't necessarily asked to do on a nightly basis. For me, I was asked to do quite a bit and I think because of that it definitely helped me in the pro ranks.
Once you finished your career at Valpo, you embarked on your professional journey and joined the Houston Rockets for NBA Summer League. From there, you were selected by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the 2022 NBA G League Draft. What was that moment like of reaching your dreams of playing basketball at the professional level and going into the league?
Everyone's dream is to get drafted in the NBA Draft, but I didn't quite get there. I just wanted to be able to kind of have that feeling, be able to see my name on the board, and get drafted. Getting drafted to a G League team was absolutely special for me. I actually didn't think I was going to be excited about that moment, but it felt cool to see my name up somewhere and for an organization to—out of all guys—pick me. You do get that sense of accomplishment. Summer League was a really cool experience being able to play with a lot of the top picks like Jabari Smith Jr. Being able to just be around guys who are going to have long, great NBA careers was really fun.
Throughout your first season in the league, you became a West Conference G-League champion and also got to play in Spain. Could you share more with us about each of those experiences? What was that journey like of not only winning in the G League, but then also going overseas and playing in Spain?