Denver Nuggets Fandom Will Never Be the Same

Nugglife is not dead after all. It’s reborn. Your Denver Nuggets are finally champions.

Those in Ball Arena knew before the result. Denver Nuggets fans could feel it before the game tipped off. They just had to wait a while to celebrate. Why not? They’ve waited their entire lives for this moment.

The Denver Nuggets finally won an NBA championship Monday night. The accomplishment belongs to the players, but the moment belongs to millions. It belongs to lifers and the new generation alike. To those we watched with. Those we texted and called. And those we wish we still could. No one can ever take it from us.

We know what the naysayers meant when they said the Denver Nuggets aren’t compelling. They’re saying Denver isn’t worth their time. That you’re not worth their time. They are wrong.

The cities of Denver and Sombor are bonded forever. Colorado and Serbia are permanently connected. I’m from neither location, but I’ve spent time trying to understand both people. There is common ground. Outsiders spent decades ignoring or telling you who you are. Today, you are champions. Today and in the future, it’s your story. Not theirs.

Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Christian Braun, Jeff Green, and the entire Nuggets’ roster defeated fate. They’ve changed your life forever. The coaching staff, too. The front office, of course. It’s a remarkable vindication tour. It’s one of the best stories in sports.

Jokić is genuinely unique. He’s reluctantly the best player on the planet, and that sentence isn’t important to him. His team is the best in the league, which means far more than we pretend. The process always mattered to Jokić. His teammates always mattered to him. It’s a big reason they’re champions, and it’s one of the ironies in his erroneous label as an analytical darling. The numbers reflect greatness yet fail to capture his impact on the organization. We’re talking about the ultimate eye-test player. All one had to do was watch. We know who refused.

Jamal Murray is fresh off a devastating injury. It pushed his personal and team development back two years. It wasn’t his fault, but there was mounting pressure to get the job done. Windows close quickly in this league. It’s not easy being the second-best player. Jokić receives the credit when they win. Murray gets the blame when they lose. And pundits like myself are often late to laud his contributions. He was essential to the most memorable season in Denver Nuggets’ history. He’s a winner. He’s a champion. And he’s a Denver Nuggets legend.

Michael Porter Jr. wondered if he’d ever play basketball again. A series of back injuries and surgeries nearly derailed a career destined for extraordinary things. But an undeniable truth was lost in the shadow of his initial reputation as a chucker and the grumblings about his contract. He loves basketball. He’s obsessed with getting better. He was always going to sacrifice and help this team win. Porter couldn’t buy a jumper all series, but he’s not bothered now. “I’m not supposed to be here,” he cogitated at the podium. We know what he’s referencing, yet I’d argue he’s wrong. There are no accidents of this scale. Porter is right where he belongs.

Aaron Gordon embodies the selflessness associated with the Denver Nuggets culture. Long misunderstood as an insufficient leading scorer, Gordon showed the world who he was. Who he can be going forward. Going from Orlando to Denver and teaming up with a basketball genius brought the best out of a fascinating player. AG is an elite defender. This playoff run should stamp him. He’s an animal at the rim in this potent offense and an underrated passer. He tasked himself with getting smarter in the offseason, far easier said than done. And then he walked the walk. Now, Mr. Nugget is walking the streets of Denver as a champion.

KCP was the only champion on the roster before Monday night. He did everything he could to change that. From the very beginning, KCP preached the importance of championship habits. He narrowed in on defensive communication as an area of improvement. In that way, he was a godsend to Malone and his staff. Much like Paul Millsap before him. Pope is still under contract, yet already solidified as an all-time Nugget, no matter what should happen. His leadership on and off the court is essential to the title. He’s standing tall after the dust settles for the second time in his career.

We could run through every player on the roster — they all deserve credit. I’d be remiss not to spend time on Michael Malone. He never relented on his mission of turning this group into capable defenders. This group might have strayed with a different leader. They might have grown tired of each other’s voices, shortcomings, and the grind of the regular season. Malone refused to let that happen. Much maligned on the internet and underrated in the eyes of awards voters, the son of a coach is now a championship coach. He is vindicated in his tenure and philosophies. Malone is the best coach in team history. And he wants more.

This title was inevitable. That was plain to see to a neophyte’s eye, but those who lived the NuggLife bear emotional scars. Championships don’t happen for the Denver Nuggets. With each shortcoming in the Jokić era, anxiety intensified. With each injury, hope gave way to resignation. Nuggets fans recoiled out of muscle memory. But it’s a new day in the Mile High City.

Five years ago, I shared my position as an outsider. Naive, new in town, and wide-eyed, I saw the truth:

“One day, the right group will carry this team to the top. One day, NuggLife will evolve from an ironic embracement of basketball-fan nihilism to a badge of honor worn proudly by those who suffered through it all. If you ask me, we might be closer to that day than you think.”

That day is today. That group was the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets. Living the NuggLife will never be the same. The Golden Era is here.