Altitude, rainbow jerseys and one long-awaited parade: these Denver seasons stretch from ABA-era thrills to the modern title chase, with a few painful near misses in between.
12022–23 NuggetsDenver's first NBA championship: the top-seeded 53–29 Nuggets went 16–4 in the playoffs, swept the Lakers and beat Miami 4–1 in the Finals, with Jokić as Finals MVP.1000pts
22023–24 NuggetsThe defending champions matched the franchise NBA record with 57 wins and Jokić won his third MVP, but Minnesota came back from 20 points down to win Game 7 of the second round in Denver.999pts
31981–82 NuggetsDoug Moe's 46–36 team averaged 126.5 points per game, still the NBA record for a season, with Alex English, Dan Issel and Kiki Vandeweghe all scoring over 21 a night.752pts
42012–13 NuggetsA deep roster without a single All-Star went 57–25, including a 38–3 home record, and George Karl was named Coach of the Year before a first-round loss to Golden State.734pts
52008–09 NuggetsThe November trade for Chauncey Billups lifted Carmelo Anthony's team to 54–28, a Northwest Division title and the Western Conference Finals, where it lost to the Lakers in six.636pts
62019–20 NuggetsIn the Orlando bubble, Denver came back from 3–1 series deficits against both Utah and the Clippers to reach the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers won in five.520pts
72021–22 NuggetsWith Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out nearly all season, Jokić won a second straight MVP and carried a 48–34 team to the playoffs, where Golden State won in five.382pts
82024–25 NuggetsJokić averaged a triple-double for the season, coach Michael Malone was fired with three games left, and the 50–32 Nuggets took Oklahoma City to seven games in the second round.382pts- 91993–94 NuggetsThe 42–40 Nuggets became the first eighth seed to beat a top seed in NBA playoff history, upsetting 63-win Seattle, then rallied from 0–3 to force a Game 7 against Utah.382pts
101975–76 NuggetsRookie David Thompson joined Dan Issel and Bobby Jones on a 60–24 team that reached the final ABA Finals, losing 4–2 to Julius Erving's New York Nets.0pts
Photo credits
- 2022–23 Nuggets — Milosgr97, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1981–82 Nuggets — Rudi Riet, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2012–13 Nuggets — Howcheng, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2008–09 Nuggets — David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo, CC BY 2.0
- 2019–20 Nuggets — All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2021–22 Nuggets — Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
- 2024–25 Nuggets — MhcL947, CC BY 4.0
