The Nuggets haven’t had many nice things. But they are here, at last. With a team full of core players in their prime, they could be more than a one-time visitor, too, writes Jerry Brewer in Perspectives.
Game 4: June 9 at Miami, 8:30 p.m.Game 7: June 18 at Denver, 8 p.m. It provided a chance to celebrate the undervalued history of this franchise. Denver has long been a quiet sanctuary for basketball artistry and innovation. At 5,280 feet above sea level, it is a place where a fast-paced, free-flowing game can thrive. This Denver team has been electric in the altitude, but even mediocre Nuggets squads have run visiting foes out of their arena.
For an organization without a large trophy case, the Nuggets have been blessed with memorable stars: Carmelo Anthony, Dikembe Mutombo, Bobby Jones, Fat Lever. Allen Iverson had a three-season cameo, his last good years in the NBA. Denver’s all-time top 10 list could inspire some loud debates. Now the team is led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray, a duo made for each other.
“We were like Frick and Frack, the dearest of friends,” Brown said in an interview Thursday. “He’s a dear friend. I remember sending him out to scout an opponent. Doug came back, and I said, ‘Let me see some of the notes you took.’ He wrote down: ‘If we can’t beat these [expletive], we shouldn’t be coaching.’“It was just us. It wasn’t like today when you have 15 people on the bench and each player basically has his own coach to work with. In Denver, that experience for me was amazing.
“We’re entering a new phase of the organization, and with this squad in particular, which is: It’s championship or bust,” said Josh Kroenke, the team president and governor. “And this is the first time those words have been uttered around these halls, I think.”
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