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The Denver Nuggets are the 2023 NBA champions after beating the Miami Heat in five games. So, how many titles have the Nuggets won? Let's take a closer look at the franchise's history.
Founded in 1967 as the Denver Rockets, the Nuggets started with the ABA. They changed their name to the Nuggets in 1974 in honor of the original "Denver Nuggets" that was one of the founding members of the NBA. They officially joined the league in 1976 but didn't win any championship until this season.
That changed this season with the Nuggets winning their first NBA championship. It was also their first NBA Finals appearance although they made it to the 1976 ABA Finals, where they lost to Julius Erving and the New York Nets in six games.
Denver Nuggets' road to first NBA championship
The Denver Nuggets earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference after playing one of their best regular seasons in franchise history. The Nuggets faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
Denver made it quick, as they eliminated the Timberwolves in five games. They would have swept the series in Game 4 had Nikola Jokic not missed the game-winning free throw.
In the second round, the Nuggets were matched up against the star-studded Phoenix Suns. They got both wins at home in Games 1 and 2 before Devin Booker and Kevin Durant went bonkers in Phoenix to even the series at two apiece after Game 4.
However, the Nuggets had too much depth as they finished off the Suns in six games. They blew out the Suns in Game 6 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
The Denver Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in franchise history. There, they were up against the LA Lakers, who had knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and defending champions Golden State Warriors in the second.
The Lakers also boasted the star power of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but that didn't prevent the Nuggets from sweeping them. Denver pulled out the broom as they earned their first trip to the NBA Finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Nuggets faced off against the upset-minded Miami Heat. The Heat had a hell of a postseason run, eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round. They then beat the New York Knicks in the second before getting their revenge on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, Denver was just too deep for the Heat. Nikola Jokic was unstoppable, and their overall depth was too much to overcome. The Nuggets are your 2023 NBA champions.
Denver Nuggets in the 2023-24 NBA season
After their dominant run in the 2022-23 NBA season, the Denver Nuggets are again on top of the West looking to repeat as the Champions. With 19 games into the season, the Nuggets are currently the 2nd seed in the West, only 1.5 games behind the first spot.
Despite losing some key role-players like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, the team managed to keep its core together. Nikola Jokic is playing like an MVP, Jamal Murray is having a slow but effective start to the season, and the team overall is looking solid.
Guess the Lakers players!
