One time, Denver almost made it to the mountaintop. Almost. The 1976 Finals, in the American Basketball Association, was the coming out party for the Denver Nuggets.
They had bounced back from the disappointing previous season. Coach Larry Brown took over the franchise before the 1974-75 season and led Denver to a 65-19 record — a 28-win improvement and a franchise record for wins that still holds. In the playoffs, the Nuggets beat the Moses Malone-led Utah Stars in the West Division semifinals. But Denver was upset by the Indiana Pacers, led by Hall of Famer George McGinnis, in a seven-game series in the West Finals.
The Nuggets rebounded with one of the biggest moves in basketball history. North Carolina State’s David Thompson was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. But the Nuggets convinced him to sign with them in the ABA. Led by Thompson, Dan Issel and second-year forward Bobby Jones — all future Hall of Famers — Denver won 60 games that year…
