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Eleazar Gonzales breaks down the top-10 Denver Nuggets players of all time. Who ultimately ends up making the cut?
It's difficult to list the top-10 players of all time if you have a long list of great players who have played for your team. And even if you're a small-market team, you still have a list of great players who delivered greatness during their stints.
Yes, the Denver Nuggets have won only one championship during the past 47 seasons. Even with only one NBA championship under their belt, the Nuggets have produced some great players who have proven Denver can play ball.
Below are the top-10 Denver Nuggets players of all time.
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Nikola Jokic
Some of you may disagree Nikola Jokic is the greatest Nugget of all time and rightfully so. Jokic has only been in the NBA for nine seasons and yet, in that short time, he has helped put the team back onto the world map of basketball. He is a five-time NBA All-Star and a two-time league MVP, and led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA title in 2023.
In 675 regular-season games and counting, the Joker averaged 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. He has revolutionized the center position from being a low-post player to a do-it-all player. It's one of the reasons why Jokic has been a matchup nightmare for opponents.
If these achievements don't make Jokic the greatest Nugget of all time, what will?
Nikola Jokic now:
5x AllStar
5x All NBA
2x MVP
1x WCF MVP
NBA champion + finals MVP
First player in history with 2k 1k 1k in a season
First player in history with 30-20-10 in NBA Finals
Top 5 ever for triple doubles
Most triple doubles by a center everBest in the world 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z7OdhSJm7Z
— ّ (@IaintIsiah) June 13, 2023
Alex English
Before the Nikola Jokic legend began, many people thought Alex English was the greatest Denver Nugget to ever play the game. And while he didn't begin his NBA career in Denver, English certainly left his mark on Denver basketball.
English spent a decade terrorizing opponents by averaging 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He was an eight-time All-Star during his stint in Denver and was the 1983 scoring champion. He also sits in the top three of most of Denver's franchise leaderboards.
No wonder why he's a royalty in Denver basketball.
Alex English (@AlexEnglish_2) dominated during the 1980s. During his 10 full seasons in Denver he played in 8 straight All-Star Games, won a scoring title, AVGED more than 23 PPG 9 years in a row & led the Nuggets to 9 consecutive postseason appearances.pic.twitter.com/xaCrtPQFxl
— Hoop History (@H00PHISTORY) August 15, 2021
David Thompson
If you're one of the idols of someone who would become the greatest player of all time, you deserve to be in the top-10 greatest players of any franchise. In this case, that player is David Thompson -- the first pick in the 1975 NBA Draft. Although he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks, he signed with the Nuggets, whom he played with for six seasons.
In his first season in Denver, Thompson averaged 26 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game and maintained those numbers during his entire Nuggets stint. In 1978, Thompson scored 73 points in the last game of the regular season to take the scoring title -- only losing the race to George Gervin, who scored 63 points earlier that day.
Thompson's resume included a five-time All-Star selection, two All-NBA selections, two All-Star Game MVPs, and a Rookie of the Year plum.
April 2, 1978: Denver’s David Thompson with a classic Skywalker putback dunk over the top of two Houston players.
Nuggets 109, Rockets 100.
📺 The NBA on CBS pic.twitter.com/c2tt4SA6Sc— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) April 2, 2022
Carmelo Anthony
There has been an ongoing debate as to which No. 15 the Nuggets should retire: Jokic's or Carmelo Anthony's.
While Jokic delivered the first championship of the Nuggets, Melo's arrival in Denver in 2003 started it all for the team. And if not for LeBron James, many observers believe Melo could have run away with the Rookie of the Year for the 2003-2004 season.
For context, LeBron James only averaged 20.9 points in his rookie season. Anthony averaged 21 points.
With Anthony leading the team, the Nuggets transformed from one of the league's laughingstocks to consistent playoff contenders. Some people tend to forget how great Melo was during his Nuggets stint.
20 YEARS AGO TODAY
Carmelo Anthony makes his NBA debut in Denver against the San Antonio Spurs
In the W, Melo put up 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a block #MeloForever 💐 pic.twitter.com/TxsPv5m0Ls
— CTRL the Narrative (@ctrlnarrative) October 29, 2023
Dikembe Mutombo
Throughout his NBA career, Dikembe Mutombo was recognized and respected for his defense. And in his five seasons with the Nuggets, Mutombo did just that: defend.
Mutombo averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game in a Denver uniform. He led the league in blocks from 1994 to 1996. As a Nugget, he earned three All-Star selections, was a member of the All-Defensive Second Team, and won a Defensive Player of the Year Award. If these achievements won't put Mutombo in Denver's top-10 greatest players of all time, what will?
30 years ago... Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo blocked 12 shots vs. the Clippers! #NBAVault
DEN/LAC, 10pm/et, ESPN pic.twitter.com/xiP92gd1MC
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 13, 2023
Lafayette Lever
Who is Lafayette Lever?
"Fat" Lever was recognized as one of the league's best point guards in the 80s in which he was playing for the Nuggets. Lever's averages in Denver stood at 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. Despite his height, Lever led the team in rebounds during his stint and was also a defensive ace. He is the Nuggets' all-time leader in steals and steals per game.
Celebrating Fat Lever's accomplished @Nuggets career: Even at 6-3, Lever controlled the tempo for Denver's offense and was prolific in accumulating triple-doubles, amassing 43 in his career. His No. 12 gets raised to the (@Nuggets) rafters tonight. pic.twitter.com/y7hhCyTX1a
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 2, 2017
Dan Issel
The Nuggets have produced some great defensive big men and Dan Issel is one of those.
A three-time All-Star during his stint in Denver, Issel averaged 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Prior to his NBA career as a Nugget, Issel also played for Denver in the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he was a six-time All-Star.
In his first run with the Nuggets in the ABA, Issel led the team to an ABA-best 60-24 slate and only lost to the New York Knicks in the championship round.
We have Nuggets legend Dan Issel in the building today ⭐️#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/3VoTcNNai8
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 12, 2023
Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray has only been a Nugget for seven seasons and he has already cemented himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear the Denver uniform.
In the 2024 playoffs alone, Murray hit two game-winners against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round -- including the series-clinching shot.
In 469 regular-season games, Murray averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. He is the franchise leader for Denver in three-point field goals and three-point attempts.
🚨Lebron James and the Lakers sent home by Jamal Murray last second shot
Nuggets VS Timberwolves next pic.twitter.com/1iXl6Up33W
— bobo (@ohitsbobo) April 30, 2024
Byron Beck
If you own the distinction of being the first player who got your jersey number retired by a franchise, it means you achieved something great for that franchise.
For Byron Beck, it's the fact he was one the significant role players for the development of basketball in Denver. In the decade he played for the team, he averaged 11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Despite his not-so-impressive averages, Beck hit the top 10 in various categories on the franchise leaderboard. He's the third all-time leading rebounder as well as seventh in the franchise scoring leaderboard.
Byron Beck (1967-1977 ABA/NBA Rockets/Nuggets)
🏔 Spent his whole career with the Rockets/Nuggets, first nine in the ABA and one in the NBA
🏔 2x All-Star ('69, '76)
🏔 First Nugget to have his jersey retired (#40) #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/50SMFnksTr— Tony Ballgame 🏀 🏆 🏔 (@_TonyBallgame_) August 6, 2020
Marcus Camby
One of the best defenders of his era, Marcus Camby rounds up the top-10 greatest players to wear Nuggets colors.
Camby leads the franchise in defensive rebound percentage and defensive box plus/minus. In 372 games for Denver, Camby averaged 11.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and three blocks. He won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
2008: Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets blocked 11 shots in a 120-109 win over the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/WTu7i5pF5y
— hoopsjunky (@hoopsjunky54491) January 17, 2024
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