Larry Gordon (basketball)

Larry Gordon ( born April 18, 1987 in West Covina, California) is an American professional basketball player. After completing his studies in his hometown of Pomona was Gordon professional in Europe. After working in the Netherlands and Austria at the Kapfenberg Bulls he plays since 2012 in the German Basketball League at Phoenix Hagen. Gordon, the 2011 winner of the " Slam Dunk " contest was at the All - Star weekend of the Austrian Bundesliga, reached with the Hagenern the first time in their club history in the 2012/13 season, the play-offs for the German championship. After participating in the Framework Programme of the German BBL All-Star Game in 2013, he was a year later nominated at the BBL All-Star Game in 2014 and for the selection of the best international players.

Career

Gordon started his studies in 2005 in Pomona, where he had made ​​his secondary education at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. There he played for the college team Broncos in the NCAA Division II After the championship in the California Collegiate Athletic Association ( CCAA ) in 2005, the Broncos had won with Jeff Bonds, who was later as a professional also in Germany and Austria active, Gordon could with the Broncos in 2009 also win a Conference Championship. Then he reached with the Broncos in the national finals of the Division II even the final game, which was, however, lost after extra time against undefeated this season Oilers of the University of Findlay. How Bonds four years before he was elected as an "All - American " Division II in his final college season after the championship also amongst the best players in the country. Together with Bonds Gordon leads most team-internal categories in Karrierebestleistungen the Broncos.

After Gordon had been active only in the Division II of the NCAA, in which the vast majority of athletes do not seek career as a professional athlete, it was enough, though he belonged there among the best players at the beginning of his professional career only to a contract in the internationally less significant professional league in the Netherlands. In the Eredivisie, he played from the 2009/10 season for Landstede from Zwolle. However, the team played a disappointing season and reached the second last table in 36 games, only five wins. For the season 2010/11 Gordon joined the Austrian basketball league ( ÖBL) to the Bulls Kapfenberg. In Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Game 2011 ÖBL Gordon could win the competition. For the Bulls, it was enough at the end of the season again only to sixth place in the play- offs you could not be increased, so that one was eliminated in the first round. A season later, however, they conquered the third place. In the play-off semi-final series it came to a duel with the Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg, however, retained the upper hand and later also won the championship in 2012.

For the Basketball Bundesliga 2012/13 Gordon received a contract with the German first division Phoenix from Hagen. As in Austria Gordon was allowed to participate in his first season in the German League right the All- Star Day at the Slam Dunk Contest, also he was also at the same time nomination for his accuracy from long range for the " Three-Point Shootout". At the end of the season, the Hagen could surprise the first time to qualify for the play-off final round of the German Cup since the rise in 2009. There, however, would retire in four games in the first round against defending champion Brose Baskets from. The following season, 2013/14 Gordon was then nominated directly to the international selection at the BBL All-Star Game in 2014.