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For the original defunct Denver Nuggets, see Denver Nuggets (original).
Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets logo
Information
Conference Western Conference NBA Western Conference
Division Northwest Division
Founded 1967
History Denver Rockets (ABA)
1967–1974
Denver Nuggets (ABA)
1974–1976
Denver Nuggets (NBA)
1976–present
Arena Ball Arena
City Denver, Colorado
Team Colors Midnight Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Flatirons Red, Skyline Blue
                   
Media Altitude Sports and Entertainment
KDCO
KKFN
Owner(s) Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
General Manager Calvin Booth
Head Coach Michael Malone
Uniform Sponsor Western Union
D-League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold
Championships
NBA NBA Championship logo 1 (2023)
Conference Conference Championship logo 1 (2023)
Division 12
ABA: 2 (1970, 1975)
NBA: 10 (1977, 1978, 1985, 1988, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2019, 2020, 2023)
Other
Retired numbers 8 (2, 6, 12, 33, 40, 44, 55, 432)
Official Website nuggets.com
Uniforms
NuggetsAssociation NuggetsIcon NuggetsStatement
Home court
Denver Nuggets Court

The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team of the National Basketball Association (NBA) based in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.

The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed its name to Rockets before the first season. It changed its name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets.

The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA Playoffs for all seasons from 1967 to the 1976 ABA Playoffs where it lost in the Finals. The team joined the NBA in 1976 after the ABA–NBA merger and qualified for the NBA Playoffs in nine consecutive seasons in the 1980s and ten consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2013. However, they did not qualify for their first NBA Finals until 2023; as such, they were also the last of the four surviving former ABA teams to reach the NBA Finals. Led by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win their first championship in franchise history, with Jokić being named NBA Finals MVP.

The Nuggets play their home games at Ball Arena, which they share with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

Home arenas[]

  • Denver Auditorium Arena (1967–1975)
  • Denver Coliseum (1967–1975)
  • McNichols Sports Arena (1975–1999)
  • Ball Arena (1999–present; known as Pepsi Center from 1999–2020)

Franchise history[]

1948–1950: Original run[]

The original Denver Nuggets was founded in the National Basketball League prior to the 1948–49 season. Following that season, the NBL was absorbed into the BAA, which was then renamed to the NBA. The Denver Nuggets played the 1949–50 season as one of the charter NBA teams before folding.

The Denver Rockets and ABA revival[]

Denver Rockets logo 1967–1971.

Denver Rockets logo 1967–1971.

A charter franchise in the American Basketball Association, the team was originally slated to play in Kansas City, Missouri before moving to Denver. They were named the Denver Larks before they changed their name and became known as the Rockets for their first seven years of existence, winning division titles in 1970 and 1975. The name "Rockets" was derived from the Rocket Trucking Company, owned by the team's owner and having the same colors (orange and black).

1969–1976: ABA years[]

Denver Rockets logo 1971–1974

Denver Rockets logo 1971–1974.

Playing at the Denver Auditorium Arena, the Rockets had early successes on the court, developing a solid fan base along the way. However, the team had a history of early playoff exits and failed to play in an ABA championship series.

Early, they had a solid lineup led by Byron Beck and Larry Jones, then later by Beck and Ralph Simpson. Lonnie Wright of the American Football League's Denver Broncos signed with the Rockets during that first season and became the first player to play professional football and basketball in the same season. Wright played four seasons with Denver. Controversial rookie Spencer Haywood joined the team for the 1969–70 season. Haywood was one of the first players to turn pro before graduating from college, and the NBA initially refused to let him play in the league. Haywood averaged nearly 30 points and 19.5 rebounds per game in his only ABA season, being named ABA MVP, ABA rookie of the year, as well as the All-Star Game MVP. The team finished 51–33, winning their division, before exiting the playoffs in the 2nd round.

Just before the start of the 1970–71 season, Haywood signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, jumping to the NBA. The team tumbled to a 30–54 record and attendance suffered.

Becoming the Denver Nuggets[]

DenverNuggets

Denver Nuggets logo, 1977–1981.

In 1974, in hopes of moving into the NBA, a contest was held to find a new nickname for the Rockets, as the nickname was already used by the Houston Rockets. The name Nuggets won, having been the nickname first used by the Denver 1949-50 NBA franchise. Their new logo was a miner holding an ABA ball.

With the drafting and signing of David Thompson and Marvin Webster and the acquisitions of Dan Issel and Bobby Jones and with Larry Brown coaching, they had their best seasons in team history in their first two seasons as the Nuggets, with the team making the ABA finals in 1975-76. They would get no second chance to win a league championship, as the ABA folded after the 1975-76 season. The Nuggets were one of four ABA teams taken into the NBA, along with the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers. The Nuggets and Nets had actually applied to join the NBA in 1975, but were forced to stay in the ABA by court order.

1976–1982: Early NBA years[]

DenverNuggets2

Denver Nuggets alternate logo, 1977–1981.

The Nuggets continued their strong play early on in the NBA, as they won division titles in their first two seasons in the league, and missed a third by a single game. However, neither of these teams was ultimately successful in the postseason.

Brown left the team in 1979, helping usher in a brief decline in their team's performance. It ended in 1981, when they hired Doug Moe as a head coach. Moe brought with him a "run and gun" philosophy, a style of play focusing on attempting to score rapidly with little interest in defense, and it helped the team become highly competitive. During the 1980s, the Nuggets would often score in excess of 115 points a game, and during the 1981-82 season, they scored at least 100 points in every game.

1982–1989: The Alex English era[]

DenverNuggets6

Denver Nuggets logo 1982–1993.

Anchored by scoring machines Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe at the two forward spots, Denver lead the league in scoring, with English and Vandeweghe both averaging above 25 points per game. It was a novel strategy, allowing the Nuggets to top the Midwest Division and qualify for the playoffs during that span. (On December 13, 1983, the Nuggets and the visiting Detroit Pistons combined for an NBA record 370 points, with Detroit winning in triple overtime, 186-184.) In 1984-85, they made it to the Western Conference finals after being perennial playoff contenders, and they lost in five games to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Vandeweghe was traded before the 1984-85 season to the Portland Trail Blazers for rebounding guard Fat Lever, undersized power forward Calvin Natt and center Wayne Cooper. Spearheaded by English and supported by the three new acquisitions and defensive specialists Bill Hanzlik and TR Dunn, the team replicated its success in the Western Conference despite the loss of Vandeweghe. However, they couldn't get past the dominant team of the era, the Los Angeles Lakers.

1989–1991: A period of decline[]

Moe left the team in 1990, and his departure ended their run as a competitive franchise. However, the "run and gun" philosophy continued with coach Paul Westhead at the helm. He gave the green light for players like Michael Adams and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to light up the scoreboards within seconds of possession. This lead to even more scoring records, but that didn't translate into wins as Denver was the worst team in terms of number of wins for two consecutive seasons.

1991–1996: The Dikembe Mutombo era[]

Nuggets 1994-2003

Denver Nuggets logo 1993–2003.

Denver took a positive step in rebuilding by drafting Georgetown University Center Dikembe Mutombo in 1991. Mutombo finished runner-up to Larry Johnson for the NBA Rookie of the Year that season. Denver finished 24–58 that year.

Denver fired Westhead prior to the 1992–93 season and hired former star player Dan Issel as his successor. The Nuggets had two lottery picks that year and drafted University of Notre Dame Forward LaPhonso Ellis and University of Virginia guard Bryant Stith. Denver improved to 36–46, just missing the playoffs that year.

Denver ditched their rainbow colors for a dark navy, metallic gold, and wine color scheme starting in the 1993–94 season. Led by Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (who changed his name from Chris Jackson prior to the season), and Ellis, Denver finished with its first winning season since the Doug Moe era at 42–40. Denver clinched the 8th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, playing the first place Seattle SuperSonics. Denver was a heavy underdog, having only a couple of players on their roster with actual NBA playoff experience. After dropping the first two games of the five-game set in Seattle, the series returned to Denver. Denver won both games and tied the series at 2. The Nuggets made NBA history in Game 5, upsetting Seattle in overtime 98–94. They became the first 8th-seeded team to defeat a 1st-seeded team in NBA playoff history. Denver almost repeated the feat before falling to the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of the second round.

Denver acquired Sonics sharp-shooter Dale Ellis in the off-season and drafted University of Michigan Guard Jalen Rose. Denver struggled, causing Issel to resign as coach partway into the season. Assistant Coach Gene Littles assumed control for a brief period before relinquishing control to general manager Bernie Bickerstaff. Denver rebounded and earned the 8th seed again in the playoffs, finishing 41–41. The Nuggets were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs that season.

Following that season, Denver acquired Antonio McDyess in a draft day trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. McDyess was the face of the franchise for the next few years, as Mutombo left after the 1995–96 season for the Atlanta Hawks, Ellis missed the majority of the next few seasons due to recurring knee and leg injuries, Rose was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Mark Jackson, and Abdul-Rauf was traded to the Sacramento Kings prior to the 1996–97 season.

1997–2003: Another period of struggle[]

After finishing the 1996–97 season with the fourth worst record in the league (21–61), the Nuggets sent Antonio McDyess to the Phoenix Suns, and Dale Ellis returned to Seattle. Denver flirted with history in the 1997–98, by nearly setting the mark for fewest wins in an 82-game season (11). They tied the then-NBA's all-time worst single-season losing streak at 23—only one game shy of the overall worst mark of 24 by the Cleveland Cavaliers of the early 1980s. The losing streak was later broken by the Cavaliers in 2011 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014 with 26 consecutive losses. Several years later, the Nuggets tied for the worst record in the NBA in 2002–03, also with the Cavaliers.

Denver was an also-ran for nearly a decade, and flirted with having the worst record NBA history in 1997-98, winning only 11 games in an 82 game season.

New ownership[]

The team's struggles in the late 1990s were due in part to ownership instability. COMSAT bought the NHL's Quebec Nordiques in 1995 and moved them to Denver as the Colorado Avalanche. However, its diversification into sports ownership was proving a drain on the company. In particular, cost overruns associated with the construction of Pepsi Center (now known as Ball Arena) had shareholders up in arms. Finally, in 1997, COMSAT agreed in principle to sell Ascent Entertainment Group, the umbrella corporation for its sporting assets, to Liberty Media. However, Liberty was not interested in sports ownership at the time (though it has since bought the Atlanta Braves), and made the deal contingent upon Ascent selling the Avalanche and Nuggets.

After almost two years, Ascent sold the Avalanche and Nuggets to Walmart heirs Bill and Nancy Laurie for $400 million. However, a group of Ascent shareholders sued, claiming that the sale price was several million dollars too low. Ascent then agreed to sell the Avalanche and Nuggets to Denver banking tycoon Donald Sturm for $461 million.

However, a new wrinkle appeared when the city of Denver refused to transfer the parcel of land on which Pepsi Center stood unless Sturm promised to keep the Avalanche and Nuggets in Denver for at least 25 years. Sturm had bought the teams in his own name, and the city wanted to protect itself in case Sturm either died or sold the teams before the 25 years ran out. While Sturm was willing to make a long-term commitment to the city, he was not willing to be held responsible if he died or sold the teams. After negotiations fell apart, Liberty bought all of Ascent, but kept the Nuggets and Avalanche on the market. In the meantime, Issel had returned as head coach in 1999, but the protracted ownership negotiations made it difficult for him to rebuild the team. Just before the start of the 1999–2000 season, he told reporters there were several personnel moves he simply could not make due to the unstable ownership situation (since all basketball decisions required the approval of both Ascent/Liberty and Sturm).

Finally, in July 2000, the Avalanche, Nuggets and Pepsi Center were bought by real estate entrepreneur Stan Kroenke in a $450 million deal. Kroenke is the brother-in-law of the Lauries; his wife Ann is Nancy Laurie's sister. Liberty retained only a 6.5% stake of the sports franchises. As part of the deal, Kroenke placed the teams into a trust that would ensure the teams will stay in Denver until at least 2025. After the deal, Kroenke organized his sports assets under Kroenke Sports Enterprises.

2003–2013: George Karl in charge[]

2003–2006: The Carmelo Anthony era[]

Denver Nuggets Primary Logo (2)

Denver Nuggets logo 2003–2008.

The team has shown signs of another renaissance for the 2003-04, with the drafting of Carmelo Anthony and yet another uniform change (powder blue and yellow). In just two months of the season, they recorded more wins than they had in 5½ months of play in 2002-03. Much of the reason for this incredible turnaround were the front-office moves of General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe a former Nuggets player who assumed General Manager duties August 9, 2001, adding crucial personnel including: Point Guard Andre Miller, Power Forward Nenê, Point Guard Earl Boykins, Center Marcus Camby, and Shooting Guard Jon Barry. In April, the turnaround was complete as they became the first franchise in NBA history to qualify for the postseason following a sub-20-win campaign the previous year. They were eliminated in the first round four games to one by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Carmelo Anthony 2003-06-26

Denver drafted Carmelo Anthony 3rd overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.

On December 28, 2004, head coach Jeff Bzdelik was fired from the organization and replaced by interim coach, former Los Angeles Laker player and Los Angeles Sparks head coach Michael Cooper, before finally hiring veteran coach George Karl as a permanent replacement. Karl lived up to his reputation by leading the team to an astounding record of 32-8 in the second half of the regular season which vaulted the team into the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

In the playoffs, however, the Nuggets could not survive the powerhouse defense of Manu Ginobili and the San Antonio Spurs. After winning game one in San Antonio, the Nuggets proceeded to lose the next four games and lost the series 4-1. The Spurs would go on to win their third championship against the defending champion Detroit Pistons in seven games. The Nuggets picked 20th in the 2005 NBA Draft; it was acquired from Washington via Orlando.

In 2005–2006, for the first time in 18 years, the club won title to a weak Northwest division. This placed the team in the third seed of the Western Conference Playoffs. Due to their relatively weak record the Nuggets were forced to play the Los Angeles Clippers who, despite their 6th seeding, had a better record following a great season behind their NBA Most Valuable Player Award candidate Elton Brand. Based on their regular season records, the Clippers received home court advantage. The first two games in the best-of-7 series were won by the Clippers 89-87 in game one and 109-101 for game two in LA. Game 3 was won by the Denver Nuggets in Denver 98-87. The Clippers went on to win the final two games and advance to the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs for the first time in history since the franchise moved to L.A. for the 1984–85 season.

2006–2008: Anthony and Iverson[]

Denver Nuggets logo (new)

Denver Nuggets logo 2008–2018.

On December 18, 2006, the Nuggets traded Joe Smith and Andre Miller to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ivan McFarlin and Allen Iverson (McFarlin was waived immediately following the trade's approval). The moves gave the Nuggets the top two scorers in the league at the time in Anthony and Iverson, who were both scoring over 30 points per game at the time of the trade. On January 11, 2007, Earl Boykins, Julius Hodge, and cash considerations were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, in exchange for Point Guard Steve Blake. With Iverson, many considered the Nuggets as one of the elite in the West. However, chemistry was an issue, as the Nuggets finished the season with the 6 seed, giving them a first round matchup against the defending San Antonio Spurs. In the playoffs, the Nuggets took Game 1 and home court advantage away from the Spurs. However, as had occurred in the 2005 Playoffs, the Spurs bounced back to sweep the next four, as the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round in five games for the fourth straight year. The Spurs would sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals to win their fourth championship.

Denver Nuggets Alternate Logo (1)

Denver Nuggets alternate logo introduced for 2005–06 season. The logo has twin yellow pick axes with mountain peak on a blue circle.

On March 16, 2008, the Nuggets scored 168 points in a 168–116 home win over Seattle SuperSonics. It was the third-most points scored for a regulation game in NBA history (The Nuggets and the Pistons hold the spot for most combined points scored in a game which was over 360 points total.)

They finished the 2007–08 season with exactly 50 wins as well as finishing the first half of that season 25–16 (50–32 overall record, tied for the third-best all-time Nuggets record since the team officially joined the NBA in 1976), following a 120–111 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the last game of the season. It was the first time since the 1987–88 season that the Nuggets finished with at least 50 wins in a season. Denver ended up as the 8th seed in the Western Conference of the 2008 NBA Playoffs, and their 50 wins marked the highest win total for an 8th seed in NBA history. It also meant that for the first time in NBA history, all eight playoff seeds in a Conference had at least 50 wins. The Nuggets faced the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (57–25) in the first round. The seven games separating the Nuggets and the Lakers overall records is the closest margin between an eighth seed and a top seed since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1983–84. However, the Lakers swept them in four games, marking the second time in NBA history that a 50-win team was swept in a best-of-seven playoff series in the first round. It was Denver's fifth straight first-round loss.

2008–2011: Anthony and Billups[]

On July 16, 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 NBA season, the Nuggets traded former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers for a second-round draft pick (that was then traded to the New York Knicks for Renaldo Balkman). This trade was to reduce the Nuggets' payroll costs.

On November 3, 2008, guard Allen Iverson was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey BillupsAntonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb (part of the trade exception from the Marcus Camby trade was used to allow the deal to go through). McDyess was waived though on November 10, 2008, and he returned to Detroit shortly afterwards.

With Carmelo Anthony averaging 22.8 points per game and Billups averaging 6.4 assists in the 2008–09 NBA season the Nuggets accomplished a great number of franchise milestones. Their 54–28 record matched the most wins the franchise had gotten since their induction in the NBA; their 27–14 start was also a record for wins in the first half of a season. This also marked the first time in the franchise's history the team had back-to-back 50-win seasons. They led the Northwest division for much of the season, eventually winning the division and placing #2 in the Western Conference, matching the highest the team has ever been seeded for the playoffs. General Manager Mark Warkentien won the NBA Executive of the Year Award for the Nuggets' improvement. They won Game 1 of the playoffs in a blowout victory against the New Orleans Hornets, the first time they had home-court advantage since 1988 and also, the 29-point victory was the largest victory for any team for Game 1 of the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Chauncey Billups set a Nuggets franchise record with the most three-pointers in a playoff game with 8, and his 19 three-pointers in total is also a Nuggets record for threes made in a playoff series. They went on to beat the Hornets in 5, including a 58-point victory in Game 4 which matched the most lopsided win in NBA playoff history. They then went on to beat the 6th seed Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 1 in the Conference Semifinals to make their first trip to the Western Conference Finals since 1985. That was also the first time the Nuggets had ever led 3–0 in a best-of-seven series. Up to that point, they held an NBA Playoffs-high in three-pointers made and a 16-point average margin of victory, the largest average margin of victory in the first 10 playoff games in NBA Playoff history. They lost the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, but won the second game to tie the series. Anthony became the first Denver player to score at least 30 points in five consecutive playoff games since the Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976. They lost the series 4–2, ending Denver's longest playoff run in team history.

In the 2009 NBA Draft, the Nuggets traded a first-round draft pick acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the rights to rookie Ty Lawson, who was drafted 18th overall. On July 13, 2009, the Nuggets traded a second-round draft pick to the Detroit Pistons for Arron Afflalo (part of the trade exception from the Iverson trade was used to allow the deal to go through) and Walter Sharpe. Afflalo replaced starting Guard Dahntay Jones, who signed with the Indiana Pacers. However, on August 10, the Nuggets lost Forward Linas Kleiza, who signed with Olympiacos Piraeus of the Greek League.

The 2009–10 season saw Anthony average 28.2 points per game and Billups average a career-high 19.6 points per game. In the opening two games of the season, Anthony totaled 71 points, scoring 30 points in the home opener and 41 the next night, in wins against division rivals Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively. Anthony became one of two players in the Nuggets' history to open with more than 70 points through two games (Alex English also accomplished the feat). It was also only the second time since 1987 that the Nuggets started the season 2–0. They later went 3–0, 4–0, and 5–0 for the first time since 1985 after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, and New Jersey Nets respectively. Despite injuries which caused all three captains – Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and Kenyon Martin – to miss a total of 46 games, and then later on in the second half of the season the absence of head coach George Karl, who underwent treatment for neck and throat cancer, the Nuggets were still able to win 53 games (third consecutive 50-win season, a Nuggets first) for the season which gave them a second consecutive Northwest division title and finished as the fourth seed in the West Conference. However, they were eliminated by the Utah Jazz 4–2, their sixth first-round elimination in 7 seasons. Anthony averaged a career-high 30.7 points per game in the playoffs.

On July 14, 2010, the Nuggets bolstered their frontcourt depth by signing Al Harrington. During the 2010 off-season, Masai Ujiri replaced Mark Warkentien as the General Manager, while Josh Kroenke was named team president.

Stan Kroenke bought full ownership in the then-St. Louis Rams of the NFL in 2010. Since the NFL does not allow its owners to hold majority control of major-league teams in other NFL cities, Kroenke turned over day-to-day control of the Nuggets and Avalanche to Josh Kroenke toward the end of 2010, and transferred his controlling interest in both teams to his wife in 2015.

2011–2012: Anthony's departure[]

On February 22, 2011, after months of speculation that he wanted to leave the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony was traded along with Chauncey Billups, Anthony CarterShelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman to the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves in which the Nuggets received Wilson ChandlerRaymond FeltonDanilo GallinariTimofey Mozgov, and Kosta Koufos. On the day when the trade was done, the Nuggets were left with 9 players to play against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets won 120–107, where they led by as many as 27 points. In the closing minutes of the game, the arena resounded with chants of "Who needs Melo?" George Karl said after the game, "Our guys, when their backs are confronted with a difficult situation, they usually play at a high level. We always react to tough situations in a very positive way." Some people said after the trade the Nuggets would become the "Cleveland Cavaliers" of the West, that is, falter in the standings and lose their playoff hopes due to the loss of their franchise player, Carmelo. However, the trade only seemed to make them better. Post-trade, the Nuggets averaged 24.1 assists, showing their newfound teamwork. The defense of the Nuggets also improved, from allowing 105.2 points per game before the trade to 97.1 points per game for the remainder of the season. Despite the franchise changing trade which saw eighteen different starting lineups through the whole season, Denver finished with 50 wins (fourth consecutive 50 win seasons for the first time in Nuggets history), clinching the 5th seed of the Western Conference. They met the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs and lost four games to one.

The first full season of the post-Melo Nuggets saw the steady rise of Danilo Gallinari, who averaged 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists through the first 25 games of the season, which resulted to the Nuggets' best start through the first 20 games. But Gallinari was robbed off his best season by injuries to his ankle, thumb, and wrist. On March 15, 2012, the Nuggets decided to make their team younger by trading Nenê, who had played the previous 9 seasons for Denver, to the Washington Wizards for JaVale McGee. In his first game as a Nugget, McGee made a putback dunk off an Arron Afflalo miss which proved to be the game-winning basket in Denver's 116–115 victory over the Detroit Pistons. In two of the Nuggets final games of their season, McGee finally earned national attention when he had a 16-point, 15-rebound effort, and a 21-point, 14-rebound effort in Denver's playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. These performances helped the Nuggets come back from a 2–0 and a 3–1 series deficit, but the Nuggets eventually lost in Game 7, 87–96.

2012–2013: Team concept[]

On August 10, 2012, Denver was involved in a four-team trade where they received All-Star Andre Iguodala and sent Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington to the Orlando Magic. This same trade also sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. After the trade, Iguodala tweeted "I'm excited to be joining the Denver Nuggets and I know my best basketball is ahead of me!" Despite losing their first three games, the 2012–2013 Nuggets finished with a franchise best 57–25 record, and a 38–3 record in Pepsi Center (the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves were the only 3 visitors to defeat Denver on their home during the regular season). Denver also clinched the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, with a first round matchup with the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets won Game 1 97–95 on their home court on a last second Andre Miller game winner, but the Warriors won the next three games, putting the Nuggets on the brink of elimination. Denver won Game 5 at home to keep their season alive, but the Warriors eliminated the Nuggets in Game 6, winning 88–92 in Oakland. It was Denver's ninth first round loss in the previous 10 seasons, and the eighth of Karl's tenure. Although Karl won that year's NBA Coach of the Year Award and had led Denver to the playoffs in every year of his nine-year tenure, it was not enough to keep him from being fired after the season.

2013–2015: Post–Anthony and Pre–Jokić seasons[]

Along with Karl being fired, Denver saw a major shake-up in the front office with Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri accepting the general manager position with the Toronto Raptors and vice-president Pete D'Alessandro, who was expected to replace Ujiri, being named General Manager of the Sacramento Kings. On June 21, 2013, Tim Connelly was announced as the new general manager and to replace Karl, the Nuggets hired the Indiana Pacers' associate head coach, former NBA player, Brian Shaw. Guard-Forward Andre Iguodala was sent to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade in which they acquired Guard Randy Foye from the Utah Jazz. They also signed Center-Forward JJ Hickson, who was previously with the Portland Trail Blazers and 5'9" guard Nate Robinson, who played for the Bulls during the 2012–2013 season. They also acquired Darrell Arthur from the Memphis Grizzlies and 55th pick Joffrey Lauvergne in return for Kosta Koufos. In a tough 2013–14 season which saw numerous injuries to key players missing a significant amount of the season, the Nuggets finished with 36 wins, their worst in 11 years, and missed the playoffs.

During the 2014 offseason, the Nuggets brought back Arron Afflalo who they traded Evan Fournier for. Denver also traded their first lottery pick (#11) since 2003 to Chicago to acquire two later first round draft picks, which were used to draft Jusuf Nurkić and Gary Harris. On March 3, 2015 general manager Tim Connelly announced the Nuggets fired head coach Brian Shaw and named Melvin Hunt interim head coach.

2015–present: The Nikola Jokić era[]

Nikola Jokic free throw (cropped)

Nikola Jokić was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Jokić developed into one of the best players for the team alongside Jamal Murray, leading the Nuggets to consecutive playoff appearances since 2018. Jokić would go on to win the back-to-back MVP Awards in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, eventually leading the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals appearance and championship in 2023, where he was named Finals MVP.

On June 15, 2015, at the end of the 2014–15 seasonMichael Malone was named as the new head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Entering the 2015 NBA Draft with their lowest draft pick (#7) since 2003, the Nuggets drafted Emmanuel Mudiay who was widely regarded as the top Point Guard of the draft, leading to speculation that current starting point guard, Ty Lawson, would be traded. On July 14, 2015, Lawson was arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence, his second in six months. The Nuggets traded Lawson a week later to the [[[Houston Rockets]] along with a second round draft pick for Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni (all of whom were waived), and a first round pick that was used to draft Juan Hernangómez.

Under Michael Malone's leadership, the Denver Nuggets slightly started to improve while primarily relying on the youth movement consisting of Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Jokić, Gary Harris and later also on the recovered Jusuf Nurkić. On January 27, 2016, it was announced that both Mudiay and Jokić would participate in BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge during the All-Star Game. On February 18, the Denver Nuggets announced that they decided to trade veteran Shooting Guard Randy Foye to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for D.J. AugustinSteve Novak, and two second round draft picks. One day later, JJ Hickson and the newly acquired Novak were waived.

Over the course of the 2016 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets added the Kentucky Guard Jamal Murray as well as Juan HernangómezMalik Beasley, and Petr Cornelie. Meanwhile, their 56th pick was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On 13 February 2017, Nurkić was traded, along with the rights to the Memphis Grizzlies' 2017 first round draft pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second round pick and cash considerations. Thanks to the continuing improvements of Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets would make significant improvements to their team, although they would be just one game shy from reaching the 2017 NBA Playoffs, finishing 9th in the Western Conference.

On June 15, 2017, the Nuggets officially promoted both Artūras Karnišovas and Tim Connelly to become the team's newest general manager and president of basketball operations respectively. In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Tyler Lydon, Vlatko Čančar, and Monté Morris, with the 24th, 49th, and 51st picks respectively. On December 2, 2017, the Nuggets would retire Fat Lever's number during their 115–100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite compiling their first winning season since 2013, they missed the 2018 Playoffs, the fifth straight missed playoff run, after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a win-or-go-home situation in the regular season finale, also ending the Timberwolves' 14-year playoff drought. The Nuggets finished 9th, one game behind the 8th seeded Timberwolves.

In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Nuggets drafted Michael Porter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt. On January 31, 2019, Jokić received his first All-Star selection as a Western Conference reserve for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the Nuggets' first All-Star since Carmelo Anthony in 2011. The Nuggets finished the 2018–19 season with 54 wins, first in their division and second in the Western Conference, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2013. In the first round, the Nuggets played against the San Antonio Spurs, winning the round in game seven. The Nuggets were eliminated in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers in 7 games. Game three of the second round had four overtimes, tying a 1953 game for the longest NBA playoff game.

Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Nuggets were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season.

In the playoffs, the Nuggets defeated the Utah Jazz in the first round in seven games, where they recovered from a 3–1 series deficit, advancing to the semifinals, where they faced the Los Angeles Clippers. The two teams previously met in the playoffs in 2006. In a shocking upset, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers in seven games, where just like in their previous series against the Jazz, the Nuggets overcame another 3–1 series deficit, becoming the first team in NBA playoffs history to overcome back-to-back 3–1 series deficits in the same postseason. The Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers, the same team they faced in their last Western Conference Finals appearance. The Nuggets went on to lose to the eventual NBA champion Lakers in five games.

In the 2020–21 season, the Nuggets finished the regular season with a 47–25 record, clinching the 3rd seed of the Western Conference.

In the playoffs, the Nuggets faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Nuggets would go on to defeat the Trail Blazers in six games, advancing to the semifinals, where they faced the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they would go on to be swept by the Suns in four games.

Jokić was named the NBA Most Valuable Player becoming the first Center to win the award since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000, as well as the first player in Nuggets franchise history. He also became the first Serbian player, third European player overall (along with Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece) and sixth international player to ever win the award (along with Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, Tim Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Steve Nash of Canada, Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece). Jokić also became the lowest ever drafted player at #41, and the first player in NBA history to be selected in the second round of the common era draft to win the MVP award.

In the 2021–22 season, the Nuggets finished the regular season with a 48–34 record, clinching the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Nuggets faced the 3rd-seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round. The two teams previously met in the first round of the 2013 Playoffs, where conversely, the 6th-seeded Warriors defeated the 3rd-seeded Nuggets in six games. The Nuggets lost to the eventual NBA champion Warriors in five games.

2022–23 season: First NBA Finals appearance and championship[]

In the 2022–23 season, the Nuggets secured the top seed in the Western Conference with 53 wins and 29 losses, two games ahead of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets defeated the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves 4–1 in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, before defeating the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns 4–2 in the Conference Semifinals. The Nuggets' playoff dominance continued in the Conference Finals; spearheaded by outstanding play from Jokić, who was named the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, the Nuggets swept the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in four games to advance to their first ever NBA Finals. This also marked the first time that the Nuggets had beaten the Lakers in a playoff series (having previously been 0–7 against them in the playoffs), as well as the first playoff series sweep in franchise history. In the NBA Finals, on June 12, 2023, the Nuggets would beat the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4–1 to win their first NBA championship, with Jokić receiving the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.

Season-by-season records[]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage

Season W L % Playoffs Results
Denver Rockets (ABA)
(Not included in W/L totals)
1967-68 45 33 .577 Lost Division Semifinals New Orleans 3, Denver 2
1968-69 44 34 .564 Lost Division Semifinals Oakland 4, Denver 3
1969-70 51 33 .607 Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals
Denver 4, Washington 3
Los Angeles 4, Denver 1
1970-71 30 54 .357
1971-72 34 50 .405 Lost Division Semifinals Indiana 4, Denver 3
1972-73 47 37 .560 Lost Division Semifinals Indiana 4, Denver 1
1973-74 37 47 .440
Denver Nuggets (ABA)
(Not included in W/L totals)
1974-75 65 19 .774 Won Division Seminfinals
Lost Division Finals
Denver 4, Utah 2
Indiana 4, Denver 3
1975-76 60 24 .714 Won ABA Semifinals
Lost ABA Finals
Denver 4, Kentucky 3
New York 4, Denver 2
Denver Nuggets (NBA)
(Included in W/L totals)
1976-77 50 32 .610 Lost Conference Semifinals Portland 4, Denver 2
1977-78 48 34 .585 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Denver 4, Milwaukee 3
Seattle 4, Denver 2
1978-79 47 35 .573 Lost First Round Los Angeles 2, Denver 1
1979-80 30 52 .366
1980-81 37 45 .451
1981-82 46 36 .561 Lost First Round Phoenix 2, Denver 1
1982-83 45 37 .549 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 2, Phoenix 1
San Antonio 4, Denver 1
1983-84 38 44 .463 Lost First Round Utah 3, Denver 2
1984-85 52 30 .634 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Denver 3, San Antonio 2
Denver 4, Utah 1
LA Lakers 4, Denver 1
1985-86 47 35 .573 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 3, Portland 1
Houston 4, Denver 2
1986-87 37 45 .451 Lost First Round LA Lakers 3, Denver 0
1987-88 54 28 .659 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 3, Seattle 2
Dallas 4, Denver 2
1988-89 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Phoenix 3, Denver 0
1989-90 43 39 .524 Lost First Round San Antonio 3, Denver 0
1990-91 20 62 .244
1991-92 24 58 .293
1992-93 36 46 .439
1993-94 42 40 .512 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 3, Seattle 2
Utah 4, Denver 3
1994-95 41 41 .500 Lost First Round San Antonio 3, Denver 0
1995-96 35 47 .427
1996-97 21 61 .256
1997-98 11 71 .134
1998-99 14 36 .280
1999-00 35 47 .427
2000-01 40 42 .489
2001-02 27 55 .329
2002-03 17 65 .207
2003-04 43 39 .529 Lost First Round Minnesota 4, Denver 1
2004-05 49 33 .598 Lost First Round San Antonio 4, Denver 1
2005-06 44 38 .537 Lost First Round LA Clippers 4, Denver 1
2006-07 45 37 .549 Lost First Round San Antonio 4, Denver 1
2007-08 50 32 .610 Lost First Round LA Lakers 4, Denver 0
2008-09 54 28 .659 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Denver 4, New Orleans 1
Denver 4, Dallas 1
LA Lakers 4, Denver 2
2009-10 53 29 .646 Lost First Round Utah 4, Denver 2
2010-11 50 32 .610 Lost First Round Oklahoma City 4, Denver 2
2011-12 38 28 .576 Lost First Round LA Lakers 4, Denver 3
2012-13 57 25 .695 Lost First Round Golden State 4, Denver 2
2013-14 36 46 .439
2014-15 30 52 .366
2015-16 33 49 .402
2016-17 40 42 .488
2017-18 46 36 .561
2018-19 54 28 .659 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 4, San Antonio 3
Portland 4, Denver 3
2019-20 46 27 .630 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Denver 4, Utah 3
Denver 4, LA Clippers 3
LA Lakers 4, Denver 1
2020-21 47 25 .653 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Denver 4, Portland 2
Phoenix 4, Denver 0
2021-22 48 34 .585 Lost First Round Golden State 4, Denver 1
2022-23 53 29 .646 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
Denver 4, Minnesota 1
Denver 4, Phoenix 2
Denver 4, LA Lakers 0
Denver 4, Miami 1
Totals 2116 2106 .500
Playoffs 89 140 .389 1 Championship

Players[]

Current Roster[]

Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
G 5 Barton, Will 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 181 lb (82 kg) 1991-01-06 Memphis
G 7 Campazzo, Facundo (FA) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1991-03-23 Argentina
F 31 Čančar, Vlatko (FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 236 lb (107 kg) 1997-04-10 Slovenia
C 4 Cousins, DeMarcus (FA) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 270 lb (122 kg) 1990-08-13 Kentucky
G 6 Forbes, Bryn (FA) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1993-07-23 Michigan State
F 50 Gordon, Aaron 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1995-09-16 Arizona
F/C 0 Green, JaMychal 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 227 lb (103 kg) 1990-06-21 Alabama
F 32 Green, Jeff 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1986-08-28 Georgetown
G 00 Howard, Markus (TW, FA) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1999-03-03 Marquette
G 3 Hyland, Bones 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 169 lb (77 kg) 2000-09-14 Virginia Commonwealth
C 15 Jokić, Nikola 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 284 lb (129 kg) 1995-02-19 Serbia
G 11 Morris, Monté 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1995-06-27 Iowa State
G 27 Murray, Jamal Injured 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1997-02-23 Kentucky
F/C 22 Nnaji, Zeke 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2001-01-09 Arizona
F 1 Porter, Michael Injured 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1998-06-29 Missouri
G 9 Reed, Davon (TW, FA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 1995-06-11 Miami (FL)
G 25 Rivers, Austin (FA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1992-08-01 Duke
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • David Adelman
  • John Beckett
  • Ryan Bowen
  • Jordi Fernández
  • Popeye Jones
  • Charles Klask

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: February 25, 2022


Players of note[]

Basketball Hall of Famers[]

Coaches[]

  • Alex Hannum | Inducted in 1998
  • Larry Brown | Inducted in 2002

FIBA Hall of Famers[]

Retired numbers[]

Denver Nuggets retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure
2 Alex English F 1980–1990
6 Bill Russell N/A Retired across NBA on August 11, 2022
12 Fat Lever G 1984–1990
33 David Thompson F/G 1975–1982
40 Byron Beck F/C 1967–1977
44 Dan Issel C/F 1976–1985
55 Dikembe Mutombo C 1991–1996
432 Doug Moe Head coach 1980–1990

Notes[]

  • 432 represents Doug Moe's total number of regular season victories.
  • Byron Beck was the only player to play all nine seasons of the ABA with one team. These men, and team trainer Chopper Travaglini (1975-99), have also been elected to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

Not to be forgotten[]

Gallery[]

External links[]

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Succeeded by
TBD

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