Denver Nuggets, who have been part of the National Basketball Association since 1967, are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. Throughout their history, they have seen some incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. To celebrate this great team, here are 15 fun facts about the Denver Nuggets!
1. The Denver Nuggets were originally founded in 1967 as the Denver Rockets (a reference to Colorado’s mining heritage). The name was changed to Nuggets before the start of the 1974-75 season in order to avoid confusion with Houston’s newly established NBA team at that time.
2. When Allen Iverson joined the Nuggets for his first season (2006-07), he became only the third player to ever be named MVP in both high school and college as well as the NBA.
3. Denver Nuggets’ mascot Rocky has been with the team since 1993 and is one of the most recognizable mascots in all of professional sports.
4. The Nuggets are one of only three NBA teams to ever make the playoffs for ten consecutive seasons (2004-2014).
5. Denver’s iconic blue-and-yellow color scheme dates back to its original incarnation, when it was first established as the Denver Rockets in 1967.
6. In 1982, Alex English became the first Nugget to be named an All-Star and he still holds many franchise records today, including points scored in a season and career points scored per game average.
7. The Nuggets made their first ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 1985, where they were defeated by the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.
8. In June of 1990, Denver Nuggets star guard Michael Adams shattered a backboard during warm-ups before a game against the Detroit Pistons.
9. During the 1993-94 season, the Nuggets became one of only four teams to ever win 60 or more games during an NBA regular season and not make it to the finals (Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks being the other three).
10. Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony has won multiple Olympic medals with Team USA, including gold medals in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
11. The Denver Nuggets have won every division title since 2004-2005, making them the only NBA team to accomplish this feat in that time frame.
12. In 2009, Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups became the first player ever to be named MVP of the NBA Finals without being a member of the winning team.
13. In 2013, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried set an NBA record for most rebounds in one game by a rookie with 25 against the New York Knicks.
14. During their 2008-09 season, four different players on the Denver Nuggets scored 30 or more points in four consecutive games: Carmelo Anthony (31), J.R Smith (33), Linas Kleiza (33) and Chris Andersen (30).
15. In the 2016-2017 season, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić became the youngest player ever to record a triple-double in an NBA game at 20 years old.
The Denver Nuggets are a team of remarkable talent and history, and these 15 fun facts about them are just the beginning! With their impressive history and bright future ahead of them, it’s no wonder why this team is held in such high regard by basketball fans around the world. Go Nuggets!
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