The epic quality of the Denver Nuggets performance that won the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship is found not only in the victories achieved in such short order, but also in the character of the play-making itself. The Jockic-led team that made plays which involved all five players on the floor ushered in another way of creating championship success.
We have become accustomed to organizations in large markets that rent the services of two or three superstars and come home with championships. That certainly has been the way teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns in the west and Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers among others have tried to do it this year with some success.
However, both the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat are proving that total team involvement and unselfish play can also lead to successful outcomes. It is the quality of team play as much as the play of stars on offense and defense that determined the 2023 NBA Champion.
This is the Denver Nuggets first championship after 47 year in the NBA. The run was proceeded by another one of 7 years in the American Basketball Association (ABA) that also produced very exciting moments for Denver fans.
In looking at history of Denver basketball, I came across the fact that Denver, with a professional team named the Nuggets, was a founding member of the NBA. It had been part of the National Basketball League (NBL) which merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1949 to form the NBA.
At that time, the Denver Nuggets played for one year in the NBA before disbanding. The years that followed were mostly associated with the Denver-Chicago Truckers of the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL), a league that recruited basketball talent as part of the commercial mission of member companies.
As a child, I remember going to the Auditorium Arena downtown to watch the Denver-Chicago Truckers play an exciting brand of basketball. I also remember team members visiting our school to do a basketball clinic.
In 1967, rights to an American Basketball Association (ABA) franchise bought to represent Kansas City, instead was moved to Denver. Initially called the Larks (Colorado State bird), the team changed its name and began its first season as the Rockets.
Seven years later, the Denver Rockets became the Denver Nuggets in preparation for the ABA/NBA merger that came about in 1976. Since the Houston Rockets were already in the NBA, the Denver fans voted to go back to the original Nuggets NBA name first used in 1949.
The history of the Denver Nuggets and its predecessors portrays a journey filled with challenges for every ownership group and every team on the court. It is also a history of players that gave us great memories such as Spencer Haywood, Dan Issel, Bobby Jones, Fat Lever, Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, David Thompson, T.R. Dunn, Dekembe Motumbo, Carmelo Anthony and the present cast, among others.
The Denver Nugget drive this year to a World Championship advanced a style of play that allows every member of the team on the floor to be a star on any given game on offense and/or defense. First among them is Nicola Jockic who combines great defense, great passing, great shooting and great rebounding to manage an aggressive game with a winning formula.
The Nuggets were 16-4 against the Timberwolves, Suns, Lakers and Heat on the playoff run. Most important was the Nuggets over the Heat in five!
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of La Voz Bilingüe. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
