It wasn’t until a few years ago that the Nuggets were put on a national watch. That was thanks to Nikola Jokic winning the MVP Award in back-to-back seasons. As Jokic continues to rise as one of the best players in the league, the Nuggets continue to be in the national conversation. Even before Jokic, Carmelo Anthony broke into the league and helped the Nuggets go as far as the Conference Finals. For the last 20 years, these two players have made Denver an attraction, but where do they rank among the best players ever?
The Nuggets have never won an NBA championship, so that winning culture has lacked compared to some of the other great franchises. With the roster in place, the team believes they could make a run to the Finals this year, headlined by their two-time MVP center. Among the other players that have won the Nuggets uniform, from the ABA to the NBA, the franchise owns some stellar talent.
These are the all-time greatest Denver Nuggets.
Honorable Mentions
Antonio McDyess
Years in Denver: 6 (1995-2002)
Denver: 18.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.7 BPG
Career: 12.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Honors: All-Star (2001), All-NBA Third Team (1999), All-Rookie First Team (1996)
The best seasons of McDyess came when he played with the Nuggets. He nearly stayed with the Suns in the 1998 offseason. Despite Jason Kidd, Rex Chapman, and George McCloud flying to Denver through a blizzard, MyDyess was lured to Nuggets thanks to GM Dan Issell not allowing them to talk to McDyess while he was attending a Colorado Avalanche game.
During his time in Denver, he averaged six more points than his career average with Denver than his whole career. McDyess rose through the ranks while with the Nuggets, which included participating with the 2000 United State gold medal team. During the 2000-01 season, he made the All-Star squad and became the third Nuggets player ever to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season.
Larry Jones
Years in Denver: 3 (1967-1970)
Denver: 25.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.2 APG
Career: 19.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG
Honors: 3x ABA All-Star (1968-1970), 3x All-ABA First Team (1968-1970)
The ABA was created in 1967 and Jones has a plan to play in the league. It’s reported that Jones called and wrote to every team in the league but the Denver Rockets were the only ones to answer. Jones had a sound jump shot and quickly became a major player for Denver. That included making three straight All-ABA appearances from 1967 to 1970. That included a record 52 points in a game in 1969. During the 1968-69 season, he became the only player to ever record at least 2,000 points in a season.
Jones was the first player in ABA history to reach 5,000 career points. When he made the 1970 ABA All-Star Game, he led all scorers with 30 points and six rebounds. Jones finished his career with 25.4 points and 4.2 assists in 226 regular season games for the Nuggets. His end with the team was not as glamorous as the Nuggets played with his salary so the team could afford Spencer Haywood. That led to an early divorce.
Chauncey Billups
Years in Denver: 5 (1998-2000, 2008-10)
Denver: 16.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: 3x All-Star (2008-10), All-NBA Third Team (2009)
The Nuggets made a bold move by acquiring Billups. The trade involved trading away Allen Iverson, who was an All-Star talent alongside Carmelo Anthony. With that said, Billups was a former Finals MVP and a respected leader. The addition of Billups transformed the landscape of the team and the Nuggets had some of their most success in the playoffs. It helped as Billups made an All-Star appearance between 2008 to 2010.
During the 2008-09 season, the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals. The series was pushed to six games. That season also saw Billups make an All-NBA Third Team when he averaged 17.9 points and 6.4 assists. Billups averaged 19.5 points and 5.6 assists during the 2009-10 season.
Ralph Simpson
Years in Denver: 7 (1970-1977)
Denver: 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career: 16.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: 5x ABA All-Star (1972-1976), All-ABA First Team (1976), 2x All-ABA Second Team (1972, 1973)
Simpson is an all-time great ABA player with the franchise. After two years at Michigan State University, he signed a professional contract with the Denver Rockets. He would go on to make five All-Star appearances. His best season came when he averaged 27.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists during the 1971-72 season.
Simpson never got to enjoy the fruitful success of the NBA. He was just a generation behind. Simpson did play for the Nuggets in the NBA during the 1977-78 season and averaged 5.5 points. When it came to the ABA, he was the team’s best player multiple times as evidenced by three All-ABA appearances.
10. Marcus Camby
Years in Denver: 6 (2002-08)
Denver: 10.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 3.0 BPG
Career: 9.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.4 BPG
Honors: Defensive Player of the Year (2007), 2x All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2008), 2x All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006), 3x Blocks Leader (2006-08)
There are two players with over 1,000 blocks in team history. One of those players is Marcus Camby. Camby owns 1,126 career blocks with the Nuggets, which has him second on the all-time list. Camby also ranks fifth on the all-time list for rebounding with 4,117. When it came to particular seasons, Camby was one of the best defenders in the league from 2005 to 2008.
That included leading the league in blocks for three straight seasons. During the 2006-07 season, Camby averaged 3.3 blocks, which led the league, 11.7 blocks, good for fifth, and 9.3 defensive rebounds, which was second in the league. Among centers, he was second with 1.24 steals per game. The following year he did not win DPOY, but he had 13.1 rebounds, including leading the league in rebounds per 48 minutes with 18.1.
9. T.R. Dunn
Years in Denver: 10 (1980-88, 1989-1991)
Denver: 4.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 5.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: 3x All-Defensive Second Team (1983-85)
While the stats are not flashy, something needs to be said about how Dunn spent 10 years with the franchise. Dunn is one of two players to own over 1,000 steals with the team. The 734 games played are second in franchise history. Dunn was regarded as one of the best rebounding guards of all time. He remains just that by ranking 10th in franchise history with 3,496 career rebounds.
In his years in the league, Dunn never averaged more than 8.2 points per game. His defense was his greatest asset. Dunn made three All-Defensive teams with the Nuggets. He would later retire after playing his final season with the Nuggets.
8. Bobby Jones
Years in Denver: 4 (1974-1978)
Denver: 14.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG 3.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.9 BPG
Career: 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.0 BPG
Honors: 2x All-Star (1977, 1978), 2x All-Defensive First Team (1977, 1978), ABA All-Star (1976), All-ABA Second Team (1976), 2x All-ABA Defensive First Team (1975, 1976), ABA All-Rookie First Team (1975)
Jones was able to transition from the ABA to the NBA with plenty of success. For four years, Jones was a constant fixture among the awards handed out. Jones was an All-Defensive player for two years with the ABA. Then, he proved that he belonged in the elite ranks of the NBA by making the All-Defensive First Team in the NBA as well. Jones ultimately made eight All-Defensive appearances in his career in general.
With Jones in the backcourt as a rookie, the Nuggets won 65 games in 1974-75, which was the best in the ABA at the time. The following year, he was paired with David Thompson and Dan Issel to help the team win 60 games again. Jones made an All-Star team in 1977 when he averaged a career-high 15.1 points while ranking third in field-goal percentage at 57.0%. In the end, he may not rank high in the all-time stats, but he was a heralded player in Denver during his time.
7. Dan Issel
Years in Denver: 10 (1975-1985)
Denver: 20.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Career: 22.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Honors: All-Star (1977), 2x ABA All-Star (1975, 1976), All-ABA Second Team (1974)
The Nuggets lucked out with Issel. He was traded from the Kentucky Colonels to the Baltimore Claws before the 1975-76 season. The Claws folded and he was then traded to the Nuggets. During his first season, the team won 70 games and he led the team to the ABA Finals. In his ABA career, he was a six-time All-Star. When he joined the NBA, he made the All-Star team once. He was a fixture among the greats in helping the team make the postseason each year he played.
Issel ranks third in team history in games played. In those games, he accumulated the most points in franchise history when he left with 14,659. He is currently second on the all-time chart now. His 1,804 assists are eighth, while his 698 steals were fourth. Had he played in the NBA longer, we would be talking about a lot more NBA awards.
6. Fat Lever
Years in Denver: 6 (1984-1990)
Denver: 17.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 13.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: 2x All-Star (1988, 1990), All-NBA Second Team (1987), All-Defensive Second Team (1988), No. 12 retired by Denver Nuggets
Lever has one of the coolest names on the list and was one of the best Nuggets ever. Lever is all over the all-time rankings. That includes his 8,081 career points which rank sixth. His 3,621 rebounds are eighth, and he just snuck into playing the 10th most games. Where Lever stands the highest is his 3,566 career assists, which rank second. He is one of three players to own more than 3,000 career assists.
With the Nuggets, Lever made two All-Star appearances. That included in 1988 when he averaged 18.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. In 1990, he made another appearance by averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. After that season, he joined the Mavericks and played a combined 35 games in two seasons. He was never the same player he once was with the Nuggets.
5. Dikembe Mutombo
Years in Denver: 5 (1991-1996)
Denver: 12.9 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 APG, 3.8 BPG
Career: 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.8 BPG
Honors: 3x All-Star (1992, 1995, 1996), Defensive Player of the Year (1995), All-Defensive Second Team (1995), 3x Blocks Leader (1994-96), No. 55 retired by Denver Nuggets
Mutombo was a homegrown product from the 1991 draft. The Nuggets drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick. The team needed a player to shore up the defense as the team ranked last in allowed points per game. Mutombo quickly grew into a fan favorite in 1992 when he developed his finger-wagging trademark after blocking an opponent’s shot. Those blocks piled up as his 1,486 are a Nuggets record. That included his strong rebounding, which included 4,811 rebounds which rank third.
As the years progressed, Mutombo grew into the league’s best defensive player. Mutombo won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1995 when he averaged 11.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and a career-high 4.5 blocks per game. Mutombo left the Nuggets in 1996. Mutombo wanted a 10-year contract, but GM Bernie Bickerstaff balked at the idea, but would later say not bringing him back was his biggest regret as a GM.
4. Carmelo Anthony
Years in Denver: 8 (2003-2011)
Denver: 24.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career: 22.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Honors: 4x All-Star (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)), All-NBA Second Team (2010), 3x All-NBA Third Team (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012), All-Rookie First Team (2004)
The 2003 NBA Draft remains special with the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. That draft was equally special as Carmelo Anthony was scooped up by the Nuggets. Anthony transformed the team’s image and the team was talked about nationally. Anthony made four All-NBA Teams because he was a dangerous scorer. Throughout the years, Anthony accumulated 13,970 career points that rank third all-time.
During that span, he averaged 20.0 points per game or more every year he played in Denver. That included 28.9 points during the 2006-07 season. He also averaged 28.2 points during the 2009-10 season. When it came to getting an automatic bucket, Anthony ranked among the best in the league like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki when it came to modern-day scorers. When he requested a trade to go to the Knicks, it was a sad day for Denver. Among his other awards, Anthony also owns the fifth most played games, sixth most steals, and ninth most rebounds.
3. David Thompson
Years in Denver: 7 (1975-1982)
Denver: 24.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Career: 22.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Honors: 4x All-Star (1977-79, 1983), All-Star Game MVP (1979), 2x All-NBA First Team (1977, 1978), ABA All-Star (1976), ABA All-Star Game MVP (1976), All-ABA Second Team (1976), ABA Rookie of the Year (1976), ABA All-Rookie First Team (1976), ABA All-Time Team, No. 33 retired by Denver Nuggets
With the No. 1 overall pick in 1975, the Virginia Squires of the ABA and the Atlanta Hawks. He would eventually sign with the Nuggets and he quickly became well-known in the league when he finished runner-up in the first-ever Slam Dunk Contest in the ABA. In 1976, Thompson was the team’s best scorer in the ABA Finals, where he averaged 28.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in a six-game series loss to the Kentucky Colonels. That included a 42-point effort in Game 6.
The two leagues would combine but it wouldn’t stop Thompson’s great play. In 1977-78, Thompson nearly won the scoring title. He scored 73 points in the final game of the season but would lose the title by a percentage point because Geroge Gervin scored 63 points in the final game. Thompson was so valued that the Nuggets signed him to a then-record contract extension that paid him $4 million over five years.
2. Alex English
Years in Denver: 11 (1979-1990)
Denver: 25.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career: 21.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Honors: 8x All-Star (1982-89), 3x All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1983, 1986), Scoring Champion (1983), No. 2 retired by Denver Nuggets
One of the greatest trades in team history was when the Nuggets flipped an aging George McGinnis for a future star in Alex English. In his first full season, he averaged 23.8 points per game and there was no looking back after that. He followed that up with 25.4 points with an All-Star and All-NBA appearance. In his third year, he won the scoring title with 28.4 points per game and then followed that year fourth in the scoring race.
In his fifth year, he averaged 27.9 points but people remember the ending more. English suffered a right thumb injury in the playoffs and it required surgery. It’s documented that English believed that if he didn’t break his thumb, the team would have beat the Lakers. He followed that season with his career-best season of 29.8 points. With all this success scoring, he remains the only player in team history with more than 20,000 career points. English owns the record with 21,645 career points. He also ranks fifth in blocks and third in steals.
1. Nikola Jokic
Years in Denver: 7 (2015-Present)
Denver: 19.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career: 19.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Honors: 2x MVP Award (2021, 2022), 4x All-Star (2019-22), 3x All-NBA First Team (2019, 2021, 2022), All-NBA Second Team (2020), All-Rookie First Team (2016)
While Jokic has not claimed any records yet, it’s easy to say that he is going to be the greatest player in team history. For starters, he ranks fourth in all-time points (10,364), third in assists (3,281), and second in rebounds (5,456). Imagine a center owning the all-time points, rebounds, and assists records. That is proof we have never seen a player of his stature. There are also his back-to-back MVP Awards. To this day, Jokic is the only player to win the MVP in team history.
Last year, Jokic became the first player in league history to accumulate at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. At 26 years old, we don’t know if we have seen the best from him. He could average a triple-double for a season. He could win a scoring title. All we know is that Jokic ranks among the world’s best players and he is tearing through these records. With a long-term extension recently signed, keep an eye out as Jokic rewrites the record books. All he needs now is to win his first championship. Bringing Denver their first NBA title would raise Jokic through the ladder of the greatest NBA players ever.
