Michael Malone's Denver Nuggets are finally on top of the basketball world after a dominating 2023 postseason that culminated in the franchise's first NBA title  — and the head coach shared a heartfelt message for his team after dispatching the Miami Heat in Game 5.

“Family on 3. We won as a family, we stayed together as a family. I'm proud of you guys and I love each and every one of you,” Malone said as the team celebrated with champagne after a hard-fought 94-89 win at Ball Arena.

The Nuggets certainly looked like a family throughout the NBA Playoffs, rolling through four rounds and losing just four games in convincing series wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Heat.

It was a dominant run for Malone's team; they went 9-1 in front of the home crowd at Ball Arena, and won the most important one in front of the adoring crowd on Monday.

“What I was most proud about is, throughout the game, if your offense is not working and your shots are not falling, you have to dig in on the defensive end,” Malone said afterwards.

And that's exactly what Denver did, keeping it a low-scoring affair and finding a way to grind out the victory in a game that certainly could have went the other way.

But it didn't, and the fans in Colorado got to celebrate their second title in as many years after the NHL's Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

“The fans in this town are unbelievable,” owner of both the Nuggets and Avalanche Stan Kroenke explained. “It means a lot to us to get this done.”

Michael Malone's Denver Nuggets are already the betting favorite to win the NBA Finals next season, but first, it's onto the parade after the squad snapped the 47-year drought.