Despite having zero championships in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets have frequently given basketball fans in the Mile High City a team that is thrilling to watch.

While glossing over the history of the Nuggets — who used to be in the ABA and were called the Denver Rockets — a few teams will certainly catch your eye, but none more than the 2008-09 squad which was coached by George Karl and led by Carmelo Anthony.

The 2008-09 Nuggets began the season 13-7. The team was very reliant on its offensive firepower since they weren't too great defensively. Denver averaged 104.3 points per game, which was good for sixth in the NBA. However, the Nuggets gave up 100.9 points per outing, 18th in the league.

Anthony led the Nuggets in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. The team made every Nuggets news source buzzing with a big move in November by trading Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb.

Billups played 77 games for the Nuggets after the trade. He put up 17.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game and was a great veteran for Anthony to lean on. Denver finished the regular season with a record of 54-28, sealing the No. 2 seed in the 2009 playoffs out West.

The first round of the '09 playoffs saw the Nuggets take on the New Orleans Hornets. It was a pretty easy series for Denver, who won in five games. Anthony averaged 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game to lead the way while Billups was right behind him at 22.6 markers.

Next up for the Nuggets was the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, and it was yet another gentleman's sweep. Denver eliminated the Mavs in five games behind Melo, who put up 30.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in the five-game series. Billups was once again a great “Robin.” The man they call “Mr. Big Shot” averaged 21.6 points and 7.2 assists per outing, running Denver's offense to a T.

The Nuggets were headed to the Western Conference Finals and a familiar Anthony nemesis was waiting.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were the No. 1 seed in the West, so they had homecourt advantage. Behind 40 points from Kobe and 14 rebounds from Pau Gasol, the Purple and Gold franchise defeated the Nuggets in Game 1 by just two points. Kobe went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to close out the game, preserving the win for LA.

However, the Nuggets weren't too upset. Game 1 showed Denver could compete with the Lakers in the series and that it wasn't going to be a cakewalk for Kobe and Co.

Anthony led the charge in Game 2, scoring 34 points to help the Nuggets take homecourt advantage in the series. Billups hit clutch free-throws at the end and Lakers guard Derek Fisher missed the game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of regulation.

Denver was now headed home with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead if they could handle their business on their home court.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, Kobe had one of those vintage Black Mamba games in Game 3. Bryant went off for 41 points in 41 minutes on just 24 shots. Denver had no answer for Kobe all night. It didn't help Anthony had his worst game of the season, finishing just 4-of-13 from the field.

Had Melo been able to hit a few more shots that evening, Denver might have taken a 2-1 lead.

Instead, the Lakers won Game 3, 103-97, to reclaim the home-court advantage. Suddenly, the Nuggets were now facing a must-win Game 4.

Once again, Anthony was putrid shooting the ball in Game 4, but Billups was there to save the day for the Nuggets. He and JR Smith each scored 24 points to lead Denver in scoring.

The series was now headed back to Los Angeles. Whichever team won two more games was going to the NBA Finals.

Anthony scored 31 points in Game 5 to pace the Nuggets, but his jump shot was still off. Melo shot 9-of-23 from the floor to get his 31 points. Meanwhile, no one else on Denver even got to 20 points.

As a result, the Lakers won Game 5 to put Anthony and Denver on the brink of elimination. Were the Nuggets going to rally around their crowd in Game 6 or falter under the pressure?

The first quarter of Game 6 was competitive. The Lakers were only ahead by five points, so things weren't looking too bad for the Nuggets. The second and fourth quarters were a different story, though. Denver lost the second quarter by eight and the final period by 11.

The Nuggets' magical season was over by the end of Game 6, as the Lakers won to advance to the 2009 NBA Finals where they defeated Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

That 2008-09 Nuggets team was a treat to watch. Despite not winning it all, they will be remembered forever in Denver.