Denver Nuggets

Updated: 12/11/2025, 4:27:50 PM Wikipedia source

The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team was originally founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed their name to the Rockets before the first season began due to a swift ownership change that came from the owners of the local Ringsby Rocket Truck Lines company. The Rockets then changed their name to the Nuggets on August 7, 1974 as a precautionary measure for their franchise to move from the ABA to the NBA. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets. The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA playoffs in all but two seasons of the ABA's existence. The team made the 1976 ABA Finals, losing to the New York Nets. The team joined the NBA in 1976 after the ABA–NBA merger and qualified for the NBA playoffs in nine consecutive seasons in the 1980s and ten consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2013. In 2023, the Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, reached their first NBA Finals and defeated the Miami Heat to capture the franchise's first NBA championship. The Nuggets were the last of the four surviving former ABA teams to reach the NBA Finals, and the second former ABA team to win an NBA title (after the San Antonio Spurs). The Nuggets play their home games at Ball Arena, which they share with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

Infobox

Conference

Western

Division

Northwest

Founded

1967

History

Denver Rockets1967–1974 (ABA)Denver Nuggets1974–1976 (ABA)1976–present (NBA)

Arena

Ball Arena

Location

Denver, Colorado

Team colors

Midnight blue, sunshine yellow, Flatirons red, skyline blue

Main sponsor

Ibotta

CEO

Josh Kroenke

President

Josh Kroenke

General manager

Ben Tenzer (interim)

Head coach

David Adelman

Ownership

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (Stan Kroenke, Owner/Governor)

Affiliation

Grand Rapids Gold

Championships

1 (2023)

Conference titles

1 (2023)

Division titles

12ABA: 2 (1970, 1975)NBA: 10 (1977, 1978, 1985, 1988, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2019, 2020, 2023)

Retired numbers

7 (2, 12, 33, 40, 44, 55, 432)

Website

nba.com/nuggets

Tables

· Season-by-season record

2020–21

Season

2020–21

W–L%

653

Finish

2nd, Northwest

Playoffs

Lost in conference semifinals, 0–4 (Suns)

2021–22

Season

2021–22

W–L%

585

Finish

2nd, Northwest

Playoffs

Lost in first round, 1–4 (Warriors)

2022–23

Season

2022–23

W–L%

646

Finish

1st, Northwest

Playoffs

NBA champions, 4–1 (Heat)

2023–24

Season

2023–24

W–L%

695

Finish

2nd, Northwest

Playoffs

Lost in conference semifinals, 3–4 (Timberwolves)

2024–25

Season

2024–25

W–L%

610

Finish

2nd, Northwest

Playoffs

Lost in conference semifinals, 3–4 (Thunder)

Season	GP	W	L	W–L%	Finish	Playoffs
2020–21	72	47	25	653	2nd, Northwest	Lost in conference semifinals, 0–4 (Suns)
2021–22	82	48	34	585	2nd, Northwest	Lost in first round, 1–4 (Warriors)
2022–23	82	53	29	646	1st, Northwest	NBA champions, 4–1 (Heat)
2023–24	82	57	25	695	2nd, Northwest	Lost in conference semifinals, 3–4 (Timberwolves)
2024–25	82	50	32	610	2nd, Northwest	Lost in conference semifinals, 3–4 (Thunder)

· Personnel › Retained draft rights

2012

Draft

2012

Round

Pick

Player

İzzet Türkyılmaz

Pos.

F/C

Nationality

Turkey

Current team

Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyespor (Turkey)

Draft	Round	Pick	Player	Pos.	Nationality	Current team	Note(s)	Ref
2012	2	50	İzzet Türkyılmaz	F/C	Turkey	Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyespor (Turkey)

· Personnel › Retired numbers

No.