Welcome to the Golden Era: The Nuggets are NBA Champions

Fresh out of college with a degree in mass communications from the University of Denver, Lisa Johnson sent in her resume and applied for a season ticket sales job with the Nuggets. Johnson had never worked in sales before but grew up watching the Nuggets and going to games. She simply wanted to work for her favorite team.

The Nuggets hired her on the spot, 42 years ago.

Johnson has been with the Nuggets ever since and is among the organization’s longest-tenured employees. She eventually made the move from season ticket sales to basketball operations and began working as the receptionist for former head coach Doug Moe. In 1990, Johnson became the Nuggets’ director of basketball administration. Eight years ago, Josh Kroenke and former Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly made her a Vice President.

Johnson has watched more Nuggets basketball than you and me combined.

Now, she’s finally seen a championship.

“Winning a championship would be the greatest moment ever,” she told DNVR around 24 hours before Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Nuggets and Heat.

The Nuggets overcame a poor shooting game and an all-around ugly offensive night to eventually edge the Heat 94-89 to win their first NBA Championship in franchise history. Nikola Jokic finished with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jamal Murray added 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The Larry O’Brien trophy has a home in Denver. Finally.

It wasn’t easy. It never was supposed to be. The first half of Game 5 was a slugfest. The Nuggets shot 1-15 from 3 and trailed the Heat 51-44 at the break. Bam Adebayo (18 points) outscored Jokic (9 points) and Murray (4 points) combined.

But the Nuggets found their gear in the third quarter. Denver opened the second half on a 16-9 run. After struggling with his jumper throughout the Finals, Porter. finally got a 3-pointer to fall late in the period. The Nuggets outscored the Heat 26-20 in the third and trailed by one heading to the fourth.

In the end, it was Jokic who brought Denver home. The Finals MVP scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and the Nuggets hit their free throws down the stretch to put the finishing touches on a dream season. The Nuggets went 16-4 on their way to their championship, which is tied for the second-best record by an NBA champion in a single postseason since 2003. It was a dominant run from a team that should be looked back on as a juggernaut.

This championship was made possible thanks to Jokic, Murray, and the talented and versatile rotation that this front office has assembled over the last several years. The Nuggets’ starting lineup fits like a glove. The roster just makes sense. Denver has the perfect combination of youth and veteran experience. The championship DNA of this team has been obvious since Day 1 of training camp. It all came together exactly like the Nuggets envisioned it would.

But this championship is not only for the players who celebrated in a champagne-soaked, cigar-smelling Nuggets locker room Monday night after Game 5. It’s also for Johnson, who has given her heart and soul to this organization for 42 years. It’s for people like Sparky Gonzalez, the Nuggets’ equipment manager since 1987 who first befriended Jokic through pregame ping pong matches when he arrived in Denver as a rookie.

“Sparky is always in the background,” Jokic said.

It’s for people like Bobby Simmons, the Nuggets’ director of security for the last two decades. It’s for Vicki Ray, the Nuggets’ loyal superfan who hasn’t missed a home game in 32 years.

“I never thought the NBA would let this happen,” Ray told DNVR after the Nuggets swept the Lakers.

It’s for people like Ogi Stojakovic, the Nuggets assistant coach who predates Jokic’s arrival in Denver but has been the two-time MVP’s trusted counsel over the last eight years. It’s for people like Felipe Eichenberger, the Nuggets’ head strength coach who was the first one who got Jokic to believe that he could be this great.

It’s also for you, the loyal Mile High City diehards who became believers in an unorthodox second-round pick from Serbia and started to dream big.

That dream has become a reality.

The Nuggets are NBA Champions.