15 players you forgot suited up for the Denver Nuggets
By Dean Hasan
Many memorable Hall of Famers and All-Stars have graced the court for the Denver Nuggets. Here are fifteen you forgot played for the team.
While the Denver Nuggets have never won an NBA championship, the organization has put forth some of the most fun teams in league history. The Nuggets of the 1970s consistently boasted high octane, fast pace offenses, and featured Hall of Famers such as Dan Issel, Bobby Jones, David Thompson and George McGinnis.
In the 1980s, players like Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Fat Lever suited up for the Nuggets. During this time, Denver’s tempo accelerated further, and from the 1980-81 season through the 1990-91 season, the Nuggets ranked first in pace in all but one season.
Moreover, in those 11 years, they led the league in scoring seven times and never ranked lower than fourth in the other four seasons. They also missed the playoffs just twice. Between the 1981-82 season and the 1989-1990 season, they had nine straight playoff appearances and two division titles.
The 1990s Nuggets featured guys like Dikembe Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Antonio McDyes, and Nick Van Exel. Those teams were decidedly less successful and only made the playoffs twice the entire decade.
During the mid to late 2000s and early 2010s, Denver featured various combinations of Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Chauncey Billups. Between the 2003-04 season and the 2012-13 season, the Nuggets made the playoffs every year.
Although they were first-round fodder each time, the 2008-09 squad that starred Anthony and Billups made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
There’s no shortage of names to remember in Nuggets’ history, and with new stars like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver fans will hopefully have players to remember for years to come.
That being said, what about the forgotten Nuggets?
Those that stepped onto the court during down years, scarcely played for the team, or were otherwise not remembered? Here are fifteen stars you may have forgotten played for the Denver Nuggets.