SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
They truly love a parade in Denver, for the year after the Colorado Avalanche marched and drove through those streets after winning the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup, it was the Nuggets turn.
But for the top-seeded Nuggets, it certainly took ages, for their NBA title in five games over the 8th-seeded Miami Heat was their first since becoming a pro basketball franchise 47 years ago.
It was a happy occasion. The weather was good, the turnout along the way was huge, and each and every player called out to the supporters. Most stood up to cheer the many Nuggets signs.
Superstar Nikola Jokic rode a top a firetruck with people who mean the world to him, his young daughter Ognjena, teammate Jamal Murray, his family, and the National Basketball Association trophy.
They all soaked Thursday in the moment during the downtown parade and were soaked, too, by champagne spray that Jokic shielded from his daughter. Yes, it’s been a long time and they were all going to live it up.
Finally, finally, Denver got be the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“This is amazing,” Jokic said as swarms of fans showed up. “we’re all going to remember this our whole lives.”
He also appeared more concerned about when he could return home to Sombor, Serbia, but the player known as “Joker” changed his tune following the festivities.
The Nuggets went an impressive 16-4 in the playoffs, which was tied for the second-best mark by an NBA champion since the first round was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003. San Antonio was also 16-4 in 2003 and Golden State went 16-1 in 2017.
There was plenty to absord, Rookie Christian Braum tossing his shirt into the crowd, veteran DeAndre Jordan mingling with the fans, Murray signing a painting of himself, and Kenavious Caldwell-Pope playing the role of TV broadcaster when he interviewed teammate Aaron Gordon.
Caldwell-Pope was the only Denver player to have won an NBA championship courtesy of being with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Twenty miles from the party downtown, the Denver Broncos wrapped up their offside program in relative isolation. Veteran safety Kareem Jackson said the Nuggets inspired them.
Then there was Jokic called up to the microphone to speak and serenaded with thunderous chants of “MVP”, “MVP”, from the crowd.
He is coming off an historic playoff performance, where he became the first player to lead the league in total points (600), rebounds (269), and assists (190). The two-time NBA MVP added more hardware to his resume by claiming the finals MVP award.
This title and this parade is a tip of the cap to the team’s American Basketball Association roots. It’s also a tribute to all the players who ever wore the Nuggets’ iconic rainbow uniforms or any other version of the uniform.
Said Caldwell-Pope reporting live for KCP on the Denver 7 broadcast, “Well, Alex Gordon, how does it feel to be a champion.”?
“You would know, champ” responded Gordon to Caldwell-Pope.
