First founded as the Denver Larks in 1967, but changing their name to the Denver Rockets before starting their first season, the team now known as the Denver Nuggets has a rich history and a roster that’s featured All-Stars such as Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Chauncey Billups. Though the team has never made a championship appearance since their days before becoming a part of the NBA, the team has secured 10 division titles since 1970. The Denver Nuggets are a huge source of pride for the people of the city, and fans flock to get tickets to see them battle it out at the Pepsi Center, which they also share with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth.
Beginning as one of the founding teams of the American Basketball Association, the Denver Nuggets—then the Denver Rockets—saw early success, claiming division titles in 1970, 1975, and 1976. They went all the way to the ABA Championship in ‘76, but ultimately lost to the New York Nets. After the ABA’s merger with the NBA, the team changed their name to the Nuggets and continued to have success through the late ‘80s, taking 4 more division titles with the help of scoring machines Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Dikembe Mutombo.
After a decade or so of struggles, the team returned to prominence in 2003 when they drafted future All-Star Carmelo Anthony and brought on top coach George Karl to lead the team. Over the next 10 years, with the help of players like Iverson and Billups, as well as Marcus Camby, JR Smith, and Steve Blake, the team returned to the NBA Playoffs every year through 2013. They saw their greatest success in 2009 when they made it all the way to the Conference Finals, though they eventually lost in 6 games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Denver Nuggets announced their 2022-23 schedule, beginning on the road against their division rival Utah Jazz on October 19th. The Nuggets then head to San Francisco to take on the reigning champion Golden State Warriors on the 21st before opening at Ball Arena against theOklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, October 22nd.
