Aaron Gordon speaks out on dog-biting incident: "I probably had a little bit too much eggnog"
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon returned to practice on Sunday, marking his first appearance since he suffered injuries after he was bitten by his dog on Christmas Day.
The 28-year-old also talked to reporters about the incident for the first time, and he went on to say that it was an unfortunate accident that was his own doing.
"I guess it's a little bit embarrassing, but not too embarrassing to where I can't talk about it," he said via the Denver Post. "I don't drink a lot during the season. I probably had a little bit too much eggnog. I was kind of roughhousing with my dog, and I think my dog got a little excited and just basically chomped down. Gave me a bite. And I was basically wrestling him off of me, and then he bit my hand. For lack of better words, I was (messing) around with my dog, and when you (mess) around, you find out."
Gordon loves dogs
According to Gordon, the dog that bit him was his four-year-old Rottweiler, whom he had adopted when he was still a six-week-old puppy. Because he travels a lot during the NBA season, AG doesn't spend much time with his buddy, so his family is taking care of the pet while he is away. After the Nuggets' Christmas Day win over the Warriors, he went home to celebrate the holidays, and that's when the incident happened.
"I love dogs. I grew up with dogs my whole life," Gordon said. "But because we're on the road so much, my dad's taking care of him, so I can't really train him how I need him to be. … But I feel good. Everything is fine."
AG received 21 stitches, mostly on his right hand. He also has a scar near his lip. Gordon says he's played with stitches before, and the scar on his lip isn't relevant because, as AG said, 'we're not running a pageant here.'
AG expected to return soon
Gordon told the Denver Post that he is ready to return to action when the Nuggets host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. If he does, he will have missed only two games as a result of the incident, which is a sigh of relief to the Nuggets fans who were worried by Shams Charania's initial report.
As with many NBA stories, it was Charania who broke the news that Gordon suffered injuries after he was bitten by his dog on Christmas Day. Per Shams' initial scoop, Gordon suffered serious dog bites to his face and shooting hand. According to Charania, AG's injuries will take some time to heal, with no timetable yet.
Although Shams was correct that Gordon needed 21 stitches, it doesn't seem that he will be out for much longer. The Nuggets split their two games without AG, and he is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 28 games played this season for the defending NBA champions.
