Aaron Gordon gets energized when playing near his hometown, as seen in his exceptional scoring performances at Golden State.
After the Nuggets' season-opening overtime loss, Gordon explained the reason behind his performance: "Man, the DJ was playing slaps, you know what I mean?"
So I'm vibing the whole game. He's playing the straight Bay that I grew up with. Just like hyphy music, you know what I mean?
Gordon is referring to Oakland-style hip-hop, a frenetic subgenre that emerged in the '90s and spread across the Bay Area during his childhood in San Jose.
Author's summary: Aaron Gordon's performance is fueled by his hometown music.