Denver Nuggets Celebrate First NBA Title with Downtown Parade
The Denver Nuggets celebrated their first NBA title with a downtown parade on Thursday, riding atop a firetruck with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and surrounded by fans. The parade was a long time in the making, as it took 47 seasons in the NBA for the franchise to finally bring the championship home to Denver. The team finished the playoffs with an impressive 16-4 record, tied for the second-best mark by an NBA champion since the first round was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003.
Jokic and Murray Lead the Way
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were instrumental in leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title. Jokic, who became the first player to lead the league in total points, rebounds, and assists in a single postseason, added more hardware to his resume by capturing the Finals MVP. Murray returned to elite form this season after missing all of 2021-22 as he recovered from a torn ACL. The two players rode atop the firetruck during the parade, along with Jokic’s young daughter, Ognjena.
A Tribute to ABA Roots
The Nuggets’ title and parade were also a tribute to the team’s ABA roots and all the players who ever wore the iconic rainbow uniforms or any other version of the jersey. The celebration was filled with memorable scenes, including rookie Christian Braun tossing his shirt into the crowd, veteran DeAndre Jordan mingling with fans, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope playing the role of TV broadcaster when he interviewed teammate Aaron Gordon.
Broncos Inspired by Nuggets’ Championship
Twenty miles away from the party downtown, the Broncos wrapped up their offseason program Thursday in relative isolation. Veteran safety Kareem Jackson said the Nuggets’ championship inspires them. “Yeah, definitely seeing another team in the same city win it all, and those guys had a great year. It’s definitely encouraging for us. We definitely want to do the same thing,” Jackson said.
Officer Injured During Parade
Near the end of the parade route, an officer was struck by a firetruck and suffered a serious leg injury, Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas said at a news conference. The officer was in serious and stable condition. Later in the day and after the parade, a shooting took place in the downtown area that injured two people. Thomas said the police didn’t believe the incident was associated with the celebration. It follows a mass shooting in downtown Denver after the Nuggets clinched the title Monday night. The shooting was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, according to police.
Looking Ahead
With the season now officially closed, Jokic will soon head home to spend time with his family and return to his other passion — horse racing. He’s hoping to make it back in time to attend a harness race on Sunday. As for the Nuggets, coach Michael Malone is already looking ahead to next season. “Let’s do this again. I want to be on another float. I want to be at another parade and do this thing again,” he said.
Conclusion
The Denver Nuggets celebrated their first NBA title with a downtown parade on Thursday, riding atop a firetruck with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and surrounded by fans. The parade was a long time in the making, as it took 47 seasons in the NBA for the franchise to finally bring the championship home to Denver. The team finished the playoffs with an impressive 16-4 record, tied for the second-best mark by an NBA champion since the first round was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003. The celebration was filled with memorable scenes, including Jokic and Murray riding atop the firetruck with Jokic’s young daughter, Ognjena, and Caldwell-Pope playing the role of TV broadcaster when he interviewed teammate Aaron Gordon. The parade was also a tribute to the team’s ABA roots and all the players who ever wore the iconic rainbow uniforms or any other version of the jersey. While the celebration was marred by an officer being injured during the parade and a shooting later in the day, the Nuggets’ championship inspires other Denver teams, such as the Broncos, to strive for greatness.