# What is the best Denver Nuggets season in franchise history?

> 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.

*By YPB Team · Published November 13, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-denver-nuggets-season-in-franchise-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **2022–23 Nuggets** — score 1000/1000
   Denver'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.
2. **2023–24 Nuggets** — score 999/1000
   The 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.
3. **1981–82 Nuggets** — score 752/1000
   Doug 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.
4. **2012–13 Nuggets** — score 734/1000
   A 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.
5. **2008–09 Nuggets** — score 636/1000
   The 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.
6. **2019–20 Nuggets** — score 520/1000
   In 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.
7. **2021–22 Nuggets** — score 382/1000
   With 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.
8. **2024–25 Nuggets** — score 382/1000
   Jokić 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.
9. **1993–94 Nuggets** — score 382/1000
   The 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.
10. **1975–76 Nuggets** — score 0/1000
   Rookie 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.

Tags: sports, basketball, nba, seasons, denver nuggets