Denver Nuggets

Founded in 1967, the Denver Nuggets are an American basketball team with a home ground based at the Pepsi Center. It participates in the National Basketball Association as a part of the Western Conference Northwest Division. Initially, the Denver Nuggets was conceived as the Denver Larks but changed the name to the Denver Rockets before appearing in their first season. The NBA franchise again changed its name to the Denver Nuggets in 1974 and advanced to the ABA finals in 1976. However, the Denver Nuggets are one of the 7 clubs that haven’t won any NBA title or a Conference title.

Denver Nuggets Best Players

Alex English

Alex English, a mid-range master for Denver Nuggets, was a prolific scorer and the all-time best player for the franchise. The South Caroline native was the star player during the 1980s and during his tenure of 10 years, the franchise made the playoffs nine times in a row and reached in finals in 1985. 

With 21,645 points, English still is the all-time high scorer for the nuggets, being the scoring champ in 1983. With the franchise, English made eight NBA All-Star games in his career. Later in 1997, English was inducted into the Hall Of Fame with his 21.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG. 

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony was drafted by Denver Nuggets in 2003, and with his addition, the team became relevant again. Anthony led the team to seven postseason appearances, including the NBA finals in 2009, during his tenure with the Nuggets. 

The 6’8” was a four-time All-Star with 24.8PPG and 6.3 RPG with Denver Nuggets. During his seven years with the Nuggets, Anthony placed himself in the third position with 13,980 points in Denver history. If he had stayed more with the Nuggets, he might be the all-time best player for the franchise. 

David Thompson

David Thompson transitioned from ABA to NBA in 1976, and during his first season with Denver, David was named Rookie of the Year, taking the team to the ABA finals. And if he were to stay in NBA, he would have been the best scorer in NBA history. He was explosive with his sky-flying skill, and none of the players today is seen with the same skills. 

David Thompson was noticed when he scored 73 points in a game against Detroit Pistons in 1978. In his career, he scored overall an average of 22.7 PPG and was three times All-Star in NBA, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Dan Issel

Denver Nuggets traded Dan Issel before the 1975-76 season, and during his first season, Denver finished with ABA's all-time best of 60-24 scores advancing to the finals. During the merge of 1976, Dan Issel represented Denver for NBA. Issel played an important role during his tenure, leading the team to reach the postseason every year. 

Dan Issel is known for his best score in 1981, where he scored 47 points, winning the match with New Jersey. The 6’9” is the second high scorer for Denver Nuggets in history with average points of 27.4 PPG. After the loss to Los Angeles Lakers in the finals in the 1984-85 season, Dan Issel announced his retirement. During the same season, he also received the Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. 

Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo was drafted by Denver Nuggets in 1991. The team ranked last in terms of defense, and Dikembe made an impact with his entrance to the team. The 7’2” was an eight-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 due to his defense. 

Mutombo spent five years with Denver, and during his tenure, he averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks. In Denver’s history, the big man leads in the most number of blocks. In his overall career, he won NBA defensive player award four times and one was during his tenure with Denver Nuggets. 

Denver Nuggets Coach

In June 2015, Denver hired their seventh coach Micheal Malone after Brain Shaw who served the franchise for two years. Before joining the Nuggets, Malone was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. But later in 2014, he was fired by the franchise when the team started the season with an 11-13 loss. With his tenure for Golden State Warriors from 2011-2013, Malone became the highest-paid assistant coach.

Micheal Malone is the son of Brendan Malone who was the head coach for various NBA franchises. Malone is now the fifth longest-tenured coach in NBA history. During his tenure as head coach, Nuggets won 309 games, and in the last three seasons, the team is reaching the postseason.

Denver Nuggets History

The American Basketball professional team based in Denver was originally known as Denver Rockets. The team first started to play in 1967 in ABA, and then moved to NBA in 1976 with the name Denver Nuggets. From 1974 to 1976, Nuggets reached the finals of ABA but lost to Indiana Pacers and New York Nets. 

After the merger of the NBA, Denver Nuggets was the successful team appearing in the playoffs. Later in 1976 and 1977 David Thompson and Dan Issel's team won its division and reached the finals in NBA. The team reached ten playoffs from 2003-2014, but to date, they haven't played any championship round.

Denver Nuggets Net Worth

In 2022, the net worth of the franchise increased by 11.3% from last year to $1.93 billion from $1.73 billion.

Denver Nuggets Owner

In 2000, Kroenke purchased NBA’s team Denver Nuggets from Charlie Lyon (Ascent Entertainment Group). Stan Kroenke also owns, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams, Pepsi Center, and Arsenal (European Football team). Stan is now the sixth wealthiest owner in American sports teams. 

Denver Nuggets Tickets

You can purchase the Denver Nuggets match tickets online at Ticketmaster.com.

Denver Nuggets Depth Chart

O: Out

DD: Day-to-Day

Denver Nuggets – Roster 2022-23

Find the roster chart here.

Denver Nuggets – Record – Last 10 Years

Denver Nuggets – Championships

In terms of achievements, the Denver Nuggets is yet to accomplish its first NBA championship and Conference title. However, the franchise is successful in clinching 11 Division titles (ABA: 2; NBA:9) before the current season. It appeared in the playoffs in its first three NBA seasons. Also, the Denver Nuggets played three Conference finals but didn’t manage to clear any of them. It also proceeded to play in the playoffs nine times in a row from 1981 to 1990.

Popularly Asked Questions

Where do the Denver Nuggets play its home contests?

The NBA franchise Denver Nuggets plays its home games at the Pepsi Center.

How many NBA championships have the Denver Nuggets won?

The Denver Nuggets are still waiting to acquire its first NBA title. Also, the team is yet to win its first Conference title but has won 11 Division titles.

When was the NBA team Denver Nuggets created?

The Denver Nuggets were constituted in 1967 in Denver as Denver larks. It became Denver Rockets in the same year and then Denver Nuggets in 1974.

Who is the head coach of the Denver Nuggets?

Michael Malone is the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Who are the key players who played for the Denver Nuggets?

Some of the prominent players of the club are Carmelo Anthony, Alex English, and Allen Iverson.