Retired numbers for the Denver Nuggets

It’s sad that the Nuggets didn’t win their first title until 2022, because this franchise has been one of the best in the NBA over the last 20 years. Numerous superstar players have come through during this time, and many of these guys will be off the roster in the near future. Number 15 will certainly be one of them, as Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Jokic have been incredible with that number on their backs over the last 20 years!

(2) Alex English

Many people consider English to be the greatest nugget of all time, and the emergence of Nikola Jokic is the only reason there is debate. English was selected in the second round of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks but played 11 of his final 12 seasons in Denver. At this point, he emerged as a superstar and averaged 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists over the course of his Nuggets career. He is one of the franchise’s leaders in almost all statistics and appeared in the All-Stars eight times in a row during this period. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 and leads the Nuggets in games played and points scored.

(12) Fat lever

Lever was at English’s side when the Nuggets were on the rise in the ’80s. Fat was the main distributor for the likes of English and played point guard during this time. He was selected 11th in the 1982 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, but moved to Denver in 1984. He made two All-Star appearances in the 1988 and 1990 seasons. His best season statistically came in 1988, when he averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists. His final season with Denver was 1989, but a knee injury forced him to retire in 1994.

(33) David Thompson

Skywalker was the first pick in both the 1975 ABA and NBA drafts. He spent his first season in the ABA with the Nuggets and the next six in the NBA after the merger. Thompson was named Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting. That was their final season in the ABA, with Thompson also making an All-Star appearance in his first three seasons in the NBA. He finished his career with two seasons in Seattle and appeared as an All-Star again in 1982, but retired at age 29 due to off-field problems. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 and also won two All-Star MVPs.

(40) Byron Beck

Beck spent his entire ten-year career in Denver, nine of them in the ABA. His final season was when the Rockets moved to the NBA and became the Nuggets, but he did most of his damage during his ABA days. Beck was taken 15th overall in the 1967 ABA Draft and was an All-Star in his second season. Beck played an important role for Denver, averaging 12.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in his first six seasons. He has the third-most rebounds in franchise history and retired in 1977.

(44) Dan Issel

Issel was one of the stars alongside Lever and English. He began his career in the ABA when the Kentucky Colonels selected him, but moved to Denver the season before they moved to the NBA. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons with the Nuggets and played his final 10 seasons in Denver. With an average of 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game, he was one of the league’s best scorers during this time. He ranks second in franchise history in points scored, rebounds and games played. Issel was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

(55) Dikembe Mutombo

Mutombo was famous for his patented finger wag, as he was one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history. It all started in Denver when Dikembe was taken fourth overall in the 1991 NBA draft. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in his debut season and made three All-Star appearances in his five seasons with the Nuggets. He was also named Denver Player of the Year in 1994, leading Denver in blocks three times. During his Nuggets career, Mutombo averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 3.8 blocks per game. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

(432) Doug Moe

Seeing the 432 on a jersey brings to mind AAU, but Moe earned that jersey as the winningest coach in that franchise’s history.