| 13 October 2009
(Denver-CO) The season is nearly upon us so I thought I would make a list of the top-ten reasons to be a Nuggets fan.
9. Vicki “The Sign Lady”. Her story goes like this: She didn’t even want to go to her first Nuggets game, but since that fateful day she as become a fixture of the franchise. Whether it’s her well-timed custom made signs that she holds up at all the right moments to get the fans fired up or her undying faith in the Nuggets; she proves that you don’t have to be a movie star or millionaire to be embraced by a franchise as down-to-earth as the Nuggets.
8. Rocky. The Nuggets mascot is EASILY the funniest team mascot in the NBA - and perhaps in all of professional sports. I dare you to not crack up every time he grabs that kinked tail of his and starts playing the air guitar! His backwards half court shots are the stuff of legend and if it’s your birthday and you’re in the stands you had better beware…
7. Chris Andersen. The Birdman got his NBA start with the Nuggets and the moniker that would forever follow him from the cult following originating right here in Denver. The tattoos, hairdos, and wing-flapping are a homegrown commodity gaining notoriety league-wide.
6. Bob “Chopper” Travaglini. The most beloved trainer from the days of the ABA. The Pepsi Center is located on 1000 Chopper Circle as a tribute to a man that gave everything he had to the game of basketball, and more importantly, the Denver Nuggets. His bar, “Chopper’s”, in nearby Cherry Creek is one of the best places to watch a Nuggets game if you’re not going to view it in person. Bob “Chopper” Travaglini passed in 1999, but will never be forgotten.
4. Spencer Haywood. The first player to ever forego years of college eligibility to turn pro did so as a Denver Nugget. A true trailblazer, Heywood was so ready for the professional ranks that he won the Rookie of the Year, and MVP, while leading the ABA in scoring at 30 points per game and rebounding at 19.5 rebounds per game. He became the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at the age of 21 and his totals of 986 field goals made, 1,637 rebounds, and 19.5 rebound per game average are the all-time ABA records for a season. Haywood also won the ABA's 1970 All-Star Game MVP that year with a strong 23 point, 19 rebound, and 7 blocked shot performance for the West team.
3. Alex English. No player in the 1980’s scored more points than English. ‘Nique, forgetaboutit. Jordan, yeah right! Kareem? I hook not! Alex was the quintessential scorer in a golden age of basketball and did so as a Denver Nugget.
2. History. The Denver Nuggets are a franchise rich in tradition. Whether it’s remembering the early days when our team was known as the “Rockets” or the first ever dunk contest being held in the Mile High City you can always feel a sense of pure basketball culture with the Nuggets.
And the #1 reason why to be a Denver Nuggets fan is...
1. Doug Moe. A coach. A leader. My hero. Doug was a, “Call ‘em, like I see ‘em” kind of guy who pulled no punches. “In Doug Moe We Trust” is still the motto of this Denver Nuggets blog and will be until the Nuggets win a championship. He has since retired from coaching the Nuggets, but will forever be woven into the fabric that makes this franchise great.
Go Nuggets!
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