The Nuggets tip off Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers or the Houston Rockets in
the Western Conference finals. But it has been 24 years since Denver’s NBA team made
it this far, which means fair-weather fans — you know who you are — are a little out of
shape. Armed with the information below, gathered by The Denver Post’s Barry Osborne,
you can jump on the bandwagon and pass yourself off as a hometown hoops maven.
Tattoo talk
Collectively, the Nuggets’ tattoos are too numerous to count or decipher, but here are a few that might catch your eye:
The pair of lips that appear just below Kenyon Martin’s right ear belong to his girlfriend — and hip-hop artist — Trina.
Among Carmelo Anthony’s tattoos is a WB logo — for West Baltimore, not the TV network — on his upper, left chest, and a basketball entwined with his initials on his right shoulder.
Chris Andersen sports red and gold wings on his underarms to add to his Birdman persona.
Birdman’s body language
Fan favorite Chris Andersen is famous for his celebratory antics following a dunk or a blocked shot. After a play, Andersen might pose and slowly run his hand through his hair to punctuate the moment. Following a block, he might strike a pose and slowly shift his arms across his body — an exaggeration of the NBA referee hand signal to cancel a score or play. He’s often the last guy up the court on the ensuing possession. Nuggets fans are known to unleash a round of “Caaaaaaw! Caaaaaaw!” to voice their appreciation.
Melo shoots, scores
When Carmelo Anthony sinks a shot, the announcer sings out the small forward’s nickname: MELLL-o. The crowd sings it right back: MELLL-o. (Think: Day-o)
Enjoying a little 3-point harmony
When a Nugget makes a 3-pointer, the announcer says, “One, two . . .,” and the crowd responds, “THREE!”
What’s up their sleeves?
Allen Iverson popularized shooting sleeves during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson played with a reinforced sleeve to offset the effects of playing with bursitis in his right elbow.
Players find that a sleeve keeps their arm warm and prevents stiffening up, particularly when playing with an injury. Other players wear them to prevent getting scratched when going up against a particularly tenacious defender. The sleeves are ubiquitous enough that the NBA now sells them in team colors.
Rocky’s road
Rocky the mountain lion, known for his high-flying trampoline dunks, behind-the-back midcourt shots and super-smooth dance moves, debuted as the Nuggets’ mascot in December 1990.
Logo lessons
The Nuggets’ primary logo features the team name in white and yellow against the backdrop of a snowcapped mountain. The alternate logo, released in 2005, sports a mountain peak, a crossed pair of pickaxes and a basketball. (In an alternate reality, it might pass for Colorado’s state seal.) Older logos, such as the 1980s colorful Denver skyline and Maxie the Miner of the late ’70s and early ’80s remain popular with fans.
Cities’ celebrities
Although Denver can’t compete with the likes of the Lakers’ luminaries — Jack Nicholson! Penny Marshall! Ashton and Demi! Cameron Diaz! Jessica Biel (Hey! She’s from Boulder!) — watch for local celebrities such as former Gov. Bill Owens, NFL hall of famer John Elway, left, and, oh, never mind.
Party like it’s 1985
When the Nuggets last played in the Western Conference finals — in 1985 and under Doug Moe — Chauncey Billups was a school kid and Carmelo Anthony wasn’t even a year old. Heck, J.R. Smith and Johan Petro weren’t even born.
Top pop song: “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
Top pop album: “No Jacket Required” by Phil Collins
Top movie: “Code of Silence” starring Chuck Norris
Top TV show: “The Cosby Show”
And, by the way, the Lakers took the series in five games on their way to the NBA championship.
When the Nuggets were the Rockets
Denver entered the American Basketball Association in 1967 as the Rockets. As prospects of joining the NBA grew — and with Houston’s NBA franchise already named the Rockets — Denver changed its name to the Nuggets in 1974 to reflect Colorado’s rich mining history. Denver joined the NBA in June 1976.
When the NBA formed in 1949, it included a Denver franchise named the Nuggets, but that franchise folded after the NBA’s first season and has no connection to the modern team.
In the win column
Winningest Denver coaches (by total regular season games)
1. Doug Moe (1980-1990) 432 wins
2. Larry Brown (1974-1979) 251 wins
3. George Karl(2005-present) 225 wins
4. Dan Issel (1992-1995) 180 wins
5. Alex Hannum (1971-1974) 118 wins*
*-Team was in the ABA
Sources: The Associated Press, Denver Nuggets, and Denver Post archives.
