- 1974
- 1976
- 1999
- 2000
- 2011
- 2023
-
Becoming the Nuggets
Ringsby sold the team to San Diego businessmen Frank Goldberg and Bud Fischer in 1972. In 1974, in anticipation of moving into the NBA, and the new McNichols Arena the franchise held a contest to choose a new team nickname, as “Rockets” was already in use by the Houston Rockets. The winning choice was “Nuggets,” in honor of the original ... -
Joining the NBA
The Nuggets and Nets had actually applied to join the NBA in 1975 but were forced to stay in the ABA by a court order. The Nuggets continued their strong play early on in the NBA, as they won division titles in their first two seasons in the league, and missed a third by a single game. However, neither of ... -
Pepsi Center Opens
Pepsi Center was constructed as part of a large six-year sporting venue upgrade in Denver along with Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, and Sports Authority Field at Mile High (formerly Invesco Field at Mile High), home of the Denver Broncos. The complex was constructed to be readily accessible. The arena is situated at Speer Boulevard, the main thoroughfare ... -
Stan Kroenke Owner of the Nuggets
Kroenke Sports Enterprise also owns Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the Nuggets and Avalanche, and co-owns Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, home of the Rapids. Both venues were built by his development company. In 2004, Kroenke launched his own competitor to FSN Rocky Mountain (now known as Root Sports Rocky Mountain), Altitude, a new regional sports network ... -
Carmelo Anthony Traded
To the New York KnicksOn February 22, 2011, after months of speculation that he wanted to leave the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony was traded along with Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman to the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves in which the Nuggets received Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, and Kosta Koufos. ... -
Dominance for the Nuggets in the Finals
The 2023 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 2022–23 season and the conclusion to the season’s playoffs. The best-of-seven playoffs were played between the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat and the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets. The series started on June 1 and concluded on June 12. The Nuggets defeated the Heat in four ...
History of the Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. Founded as an expansion team in 1967, they have been a part of the league for over 50 years and have seen some incredible successes. The Nuggets had their first taste of success when they made it to the ABA Finals in 1976, where they lost to Julius Erving’s New York Nets. After joining forces with four other teams from the ABA, Denver finally became what is now known as today's NBA for good and has been a regular playoff contender ever since.
In the 1984-1985 season under the head coach, Doug Moe led them to win 54 games, the best record by any franchise outside Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics. They went on further, making playoffs six times between 1984–1990 but failed to reach conference finals every time due to lack of star power. In the 1993-1994 season, Dan Issel took charge as head coach, winning 42 games and reaching 1st round playoffs but could not advance beyond that stage.
Throughout their history, Denver has always found ways to remain competitive despite never having superstars like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant on its roster until recently, with Nikola Jokic leading them back toward contention status again this past year. With great young talent such as Jamal Murray coming up through the ranks, Denver will be looking forward to making a deep run into the postseason soon enough while maintaining the same consistency throughout the next few seasons too!
Nuggets Products
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2022-23 Panini Instant Nikola Jokic #348- NBA FINALS MVP - 6/12/23-Basketball Trading Card- World Champion Denver Nuggets - Print Run of Only 774 Made! Shipped in Protective Screwdown Holder.
Denver Nuggets 2023 Championship Flag NBA 100% Polyester Indoor Outdoor 3x5 feet National Basketball Association Team Flags (Champ Flag Style 4)
Established
1967
City
Denver
League History
1976 – Present / National Basketball Association
1967 – 1976 / American Basketball Association
Team History
1974 – Present / Denver Nuggets
1967 – 1974 / Denver Rockets
Nickname
Nuggets - The history of the Denver Nuggets is as unique and storied as any other NBA franchise. The team was founded in 1967 and has become a beloved part of Colorado sports culture. But many fans don’t know that the Nugget's nickname dates back to 1949!
It all began with a minor league basketball team called the Denver Nuggets based out of St. Joseph, Missouri. The name “Nuggets” was chosen because it represented gold mining—a reference to Colorado's rich mining heritage—and had an exciting ring for potential fans across America then.
The original owner wanted something catchy and memorable, so he chose “Nuggets” over more traditional names like Pioneers or Miners, which were already being used by other teams in those days (the Minneapolis Lakers would later change their name from Lakers to Timberwolves). This move paid off big time — when the American Basketball Association launched its version of professional basketball in 1967, they picked up on this trendsetter idea and decided to call their new expansion team…you guessed it: The Denver Nuggets!
From there forward, both teams have proudly carried on this legacy ever since; today, you can find various references around town, such as jerseys featuring old-timey miners or even restaurants named after them (like Rocky Mountain Diner). So next time you cheer for your favorite NBA squad, remember where they got their start - with some good old-fashioned Gold Rush spirit!
Championship
NBA Championships 1
2023
ABA Championships 0
Arena
2020 - Present / Ball Arena
1999 – 2020 / Pepsi Center
1975 – 1999 / McNichols Sports Arena
1967 – 1975 / Denver Auditorium Arena
Owner
2014 – Present / Ann Walton Kroenke
2000 – 2014 / Stan Kroenke
1997 – 2000 / Liberty Media
1989 – 1997 / Peter Bynoe, Bertram Lee, and Comsat Video Enterprises
1985 – 1989 / Sidney Shlenker
1978 – 1985 / Red McCombs
1972 – 1978 / Frank Goldberg and Bud Fischer
1967 – 1972 / James Trindle and Bill Ringsby
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
2 / Alex English
12 / Lafayette “Fat” Lever
33 / David Thompson
40 / Byron Beck
44 / Dan Issel
55 / Dikembe Mutombo
432 / Doug Moe
*Blue is this team’s history
