Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an NBA basketball team based in Denver, Colorado, playing at Ball Arena.
Contents13 sections
Key facts
1967ABA beginnings
It began ABA play as the Denver Rockets in 1967.[1]
1974–1978The Nuggets name and NBA beginnings
The franchise used the Nuggets name from 1974–75 and entered the NBA in 1976. Under Larry Brown, it finished its first NBA season with a 50–32 record.[2]
David Thompson was an early star and the 1976 ABA Rookie of the Year. He averaged more than 20 points for six consecutive seasons and scored 73 in the final game of the 1978 season.[3]
1980sAlex English and the offensive tradition
Alex English was Denver’s leading scoring figure of the 1980s. He became the first NBA player with eight consecutive 2,000-point seasons and won the 1983 scoring title. Denver’s fast-paced offense suited his shooting and driving game.[4]
1994Upsetting top-seeded Seattle
Dikembe Mutombo helped eighth-seeded Denver eliminate top-seeded Seattle in the first round, making the Nuggets the first eighth seed to beat a first seed in an NBA playoff series.[5]
October 1, 1999Pepsi Center opens
The team’s present arena opened as Pepsi Center with a Celine Dion concert.[6]
The arena is in Denver’s Central Platte Valley.[2]
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns and operates the arena.[7]
The Colorado AvalancheColorado AvalancheColorado Avalanche is an NHL ice hockey team in Denver, Colorado, playing at Ball Arena. The franchise relocated from Quebec City in 1995, having previously been the Quebec Nordiques.Open the full entry and Colorado Mammoth also play their home games there.[8]
July 6, 2000Kroenke acquires ownership
Stan Kroenke acquired the Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and arena.[7]
In summer 2010, Josh Kroenke became the Nuggets’ president and governor.[2]
2009–2020Conference finals and comebacks
Denver reached the Western Conference finals in 2009 and again in 2020. In the latter run, it became the first NBA team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit twice in the same postseason.[7]
2020The arena becomes Ball Arena
Ball Corporation acquired the naming rights, and Pepsi Center became Ball Arena.[8]
June 2023First title
Denver won its first NBA title in 2023.[9]
Nikola Jokić was named Finals MVP.[10]
May 2025Adelman appointed
David AdelmanDavid AdelmanDavid J. Adelman is an American entrepreneur and investor based in Philadelphia. He is CEO of Campus Apartments, founder of Darco Capital, and cofounder and vice chairman of Future Standard. A partner in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, he also participates in Philadelphia arena development and civic affairs.Open the full entry was appointed permanent head coach.[11]
2026A first-round playoff exit
Denver lost to Minnesota in the 2026 first round.[12]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Denver Nuggets: Official website: https://www.nba.com/nuggets/ (opens in a new window).[13]
Denver Nuggets: X: https://x.com/nuggets (opens in a new window).[14]
Denver Nuggets: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuggets/ (opens in a new window).[13]
Denver Nuggets: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DenverNuggets (opens in a new window).[13]
Denver Nuggets: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@DenverNuggets (opens in a new window).[15]
Sources
- How Special is This Upcoming Nuggets Season? Let Us Count the Ways (opens in a new window)
- Denver Nuggets 2020–21 Media Guide (opens in a new window)
- David Thompson (opens in a new window)
- Alex English (opens in a new window)
- Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall of Fame player and tireless advocate, dies at 58 from brain cancer (opens in a new window)
- About Ball Arena (opens in a new window)
- E. Stanley Kroenke (opens in a new window)
- Ball Corporation and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Announce Global Partnership (opens in a new window)
- Nuggets top Heat, win franchise’s first NBA title (opens in a new window)
- The Nuggets are champions at last (opens in a new window)
- Denver Nuggets Name David Adelman Head Coach (opens in a new window)
- 4 takeaways: Timberwolves back up the big talk, take down Nuggets for good in Game 6 (opens in a new window)
- Denver Nuggets Official Website (opens in a new window)
- Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) / X (opens in a new window)
- Denver Nuggets — YouTube (opens in a new window)