Having joined the NBA in 1976, the Denver Nuggets do not have the storied history of the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks. Nevertheless, this proud franchise has had a colorful history, which includes more than a few memorable moments.
Today we take a look at five of the greatest moments in Denver Nuggets franchise history.
5. The 1976 ABA Finals
It wasn't until 1977 that the Nuggets entered the NBA. To celebrate this milestone, the Nuggets made sure to end their ABA tenure with a bang.
This came in the form of an unforgettable trip to the Finals during the 1975-76 campaign. The Nuggets dominated the regular season, notching 60 wins behind the heroics of David Thompson and Dan Issel. At that time, a 35-year-old Larry Brown sat at the helm for Denver, serving as the team's head coach. He led his team all the way to the Finals, which as of writing, is the furthest the Nuggets franchise has gone in any playoff run.
While the season ultimately ended in disappointment (they lost in the Finals to the New York Nets, 4-2), there's no denying that this trip to the pinnacle of the sport remains to be a significant moment in the team's history.
4. 2008-09 Campaign
The 2008-09 season represents arguably the best campaign of the Nuggets in the modern era.
This was during the era of Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and of course, George Karl. The Nuggets brought on Karl in the middle of the 2004-05 season (another pivotal moment in Nuggets history) as a response to the underachievements of the team under coach Jeff Bzdelik. Karl turned the team around, and turned out to be the missing piece in a talent-packed side that apparently lacked direction.
It was arguably in the 2008-09 season that this particular side peaked. They finished the regular season with a 54-28 record en route to winning the Northwest Division title. Denver made easy work of the New Orleans Hornets and the Dallas Mavericks in the first two rounds of the playoffs, defeating both sides 4-1.
Denver faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals — only the second time in franchise history that they reached this stage — and they posed a formidable challenge against the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they proved no match to the eventual champs, with LA defeating them 4-2 in a very competitive and memorable WCF series.
3. Drafting Carmelo Anthony
In 2003, the Nuggets ushered in the new era of the franchise when they drafted a 19-year-old Carmelo Anthony as the third overall pick.
The 2003 draft remains to be one of the most talent-packed classes of all time, with the likes of LeBron James, Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, to name a few, all belonging to this class. James unsurprisingly went first overall, but for some odd reason, the Detroit Pistons selected Darko Milicic second. This meant Melo fell to the Nuggets at third, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Prior to his infamous departure in 2011, Anthony had eight successful seasons as Denver's cornerstone superstar. He averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals, as he led the team to multiple playoff runs throughout his Denver tenure. The future Hall of Famer had a significant impact on the Nuggets franchise, and that fateful evening in 2003 remains to be a significant moment in the organization's history.
2. Trading for Alex English
Melo was an all-time great, but most will argue that Alex English is the greatest Nugget ever.
The English era in Denver started in February of 1980. The Nuggets front office unearthed a gold mine when they traded for English from the Indiana Pacers. This cost them future Hall of Famer George McGinnis, but in hindsight, it was the absolute right move. The Pacers even threw in a future first-round pick into the mix, which made the deal even sweeter in favor of the Nuggets. To this day, the English transaction remains to be arguably the best trade move the Nuggets franchise has ever pulled off.
In 11 seasons with the Nuggets, the Hall of Fame swingman put up averages of 25.9 points (on 50.9 percent shooting), 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest. He made eight consecutive All-Star appearances, was named to the All-NBA squad thrice, and even led the league in scoring during the 1982-83 season with 28.4 points per game. Denver made it to the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons, including a memorable trip to the Western Conference Finals in 1985, only to be defeated by the Lakers, who eventually won the championship that year. Sound like a familiar tale, right?
1. The '94 Playoffs Upset
There is perhaps nothing more memorable in the entire history of the Nuggets organization than that historic 1994 playoff run.
A young and inexperienced Nuggets side entered the '94 playoffs as the eighth seed. In the first round, they were matched up against the Seattle SuperSonics, who at that time were led by the Big 3 of Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, and Detlef Schrempf. The Sonics were overwhelming favorites to progress to the next round, but the Nuggets had other things in mind.
The liked of Dikembe Mutombo and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf led Denver to a historic upset in the first round, as they defeated the Sonics 3-2 in the series. This was the first time in league history that the eighth seed defeated the first seed.
The Nuggets were so overwhelmed with emotion during the series win that an emotional Mutombo was videoed tearing up after their historic achievement.
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