The Nuggets are champions at last
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The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat, 94-89, on Monday night in Denver to win their first National Basketball Association championship and silence their doubters forever.
Why it matters: The title ends Denver's 47-season wait for NBA glory. Add in their American Basketball Association years and the Nuggets played 56 seasons before winning it all.
- Now, they're the second Denver team to win a championship in as many years, joining the Colorado Avalanche, who last year hoisted the Stanley Cup.
- The list of NBA teams without a championship has been trimmed to 11: Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves.
The backdrop: The Nuggets were great during the regular season (fourth-best record in the league at 53-29) and flat-out dominant in the postseason, going 16-4 and losing just one of their final 11 games.
- Over the last 30 years, only the 2017 Golden State Warriors (16-1), 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (15-1), 1999 San Antonio Spurs (15-2) and 1996 Chicago Bulls (15-3) had better playoff records.
- Denver lost just once at home during the playoffs, and three of their four Finals victories were by double digits.
⭐️ The star: Nikola Jokić was named Finals MVP after a remarkable series and playoffs that saw him become the first NBA player to ever lead all players in postseason points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190).
- The 28-year-old is a unicorn in every sense, from his on-court play to his off-court lifestyle: He has no social media and relatively few endorsement deals.
- He's also just a great human being: Jokić didn't start celebrating on Monday night until he sought out and shook the hand of every last Heat bench player.
What he's saying: "If you want to be a success, you need a couple years," Jokić said postgame. "You need to be bad, then you need to be good. Then when you're good you need to fail. And then when you fail, you're going to figure it out."
Quite the list: The Serbian superstar is one of just 11 NBA players with two MVPs and a Finals MVP, joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry and Tim Duncan.
The big picture: This is the first time in over 40 years — and just the sixth time ever — that the NBA will crown five different champions in five seasons (Nuggets, Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Lakers, Toronto Raptors).
- That suggests we've transitioned away from the dynasty era that defined the NBA for much of the 1990s and this century (think: Bulls, Lakers, Heat, Warriors).
- Yes, but: The Nuggets could bring us right back. With arguably the best player on the planet, a second superstar in Jamal Murray, and a deep supporting cast, Denver may just be getting started.
The last word: "I got news for everybody out there," Nuggets coach Michael Malone shouted as confetti swirled around him. "We're not satisfied with one! We want more! We want more!"
Notes:
- Champs at last: Ish Smith has played for a record 13 NBA teams. Jeff Green has played for 12 teams. They both just got their first ring.
- West is best: Since the end of the Bulls' dynasty in 1998, Western Conference teams are 17-8 in NBA Finals.
- Tweet of the night: "It must suck to be a Serbian dude nicknamed Joker who didn't win a championship this week." (@PabloTorre)
- Stan's on fire: Stan Kroenke-owned teams have won four championships in the past year and a half (Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets).
