Gordon Credits Bay Area Hyphy Music and DJ D-Sharp for Career-High 50-Point Outburst

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon delivered a career-high 50-point performance on Thursday, October 24, 2025, against the Golden State Warriors, a game the Nuggets ultimately lost 137-131 in overtime. Following his exceptional night, Gordon attributed his energized play to the music spun by the Warriors' official DJ, DJ D-Sharp, noting the significant influence of Bay Area Hyphy music. Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface scored to give Nigeria a 1-0 win in their final warm-up match before the Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles, three-time champions, will face Equatorial Guinea, hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau in Group A at the tournament, which starts on Saturday in Ivory Coast. Nigeria have not won the AFCON since 2013, with coach Jose Peseiro under pressure to deliver a fourth title after a shaky start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced earlier this week that the Portuguese coach had accepted a pay cut to stay in his role. He will be without Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface, who was ruled out of the tournament earlier this week through injury, while Wilfred Ndidi also pulled out of the squad. Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, will lead the attack alongside Atalanta's Ademola Lookman and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerians have been preparing in Abu Dhabi ahead of the tournament. The Super Eagles' best performance in recent tournaments was a third-place finish in 2019.

Gordon, a San Jose native, expressed his connection to the soundtrack of the game. "The DJ was playing slaps. So I'm vibing the whole game," Gordon stated, adding, "He's playing just the straight Bay that I grew up with. Just like Hyphy music. So I was just out getting Hyphy." His remarkable efficiency included a career-best 10 three-pointers, marking him as only the sixth player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a season opener.

Despite Gordon's individual brilliance, which also saw him shoot 17-of-21 from the field, the Nuggets could not secure the win. Golden State's Stephen Curry countered with 42 points, including a crucial game-tying three-pointer late in regulation that forced overtime. Nuggets coach David Adelman lamented the loss, stating, "Aaron had a night that I'll never forget. I know he won't. A tough loss — had many chances to win the game, control the game."

DJ D-Sharp serves as the Golden State Warriors' long-standing in-arena DJ, known for curating diverse playlists that often include local Bay Area sounds. Hyphy music, a subgenre of hip-hop originating from the Bay Area in the early 2000s, is characterized by its up-tempo beats and energetic, often boisterous, style. Gordon's comments highlight the unique role of cultural elements, like music, in influencing athlete performance and the atmosphere of professional sports events.