The Denver Nuggets celebrated their NBA championship with their fans by holding a parade in their hometown on Thursday.
It was a landmark moment in Colorado sports history, as it was the first time the Nuggets had won it all, and their supporters sucked it up.
Their head coach, Michael Malone, has a reputation among some fans and observers for being stern, but he gave way massively during the show and sprayed some fans in the audience with champagne.
Michael Malone has no mercy 😆🍾 pic.twitter.com/K1QjLwuoJy
– NBA on ESPN (ESPNNBA) June 15, 2023
The Nuggets got to this point by being patient in building their team and not getting caught up in chasing big names for a quick fix, unlike some other teams.
They established their core in NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray when they drafted both of them many years ago, and since then, they’ve simply added a solid support team around those two main pillars.
First came Michael Porter Jr., a player believed to have some star potential of his own, then Aaron Gordon advanced via trade two years ago.
Then the Nuggets acquired guards Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Bruce Brown last summer, and they were poised to come out on top.
The best thing they’ve gone for is the relative youth of their roster, which means they should continue to be competitive for years to come.
But one thing that could get in the way of that is the salary cap, which is about to get more restrictive and could force them to give up at least one major shareholder in the near future.
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Jamal Murray shines in a Perfect Parade shirt