NUGGETS WIN THE 2023 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!

I’m sorry that this incredible accomplishment by the Denver Nuggets took me over a week to discuss here. After rooting for them for the previous two months of the play-offs, I was literally overwhelmed by their astonishing first Championship, so I’ve needed all this time to process it. (Plus I wanted to watch their joy during the parade, so I had to wait until after it, in case something monumental happened there to report. But, sadly, or thankfully, it did not.)

I also wanted to wait until after yesterday’s NBA draft, in case I had something pertinent to the Nuggets to add in. But I don’t, so I’ll try to review that entire multi-hour event next week. (But I can tell you right now that even though everyone in the world knew the “generational” player from France, Victor Wembanyama, was going to be taken #1 by the Spurs, I cried even more tears of joy than Victor did!)

As someone who watched every single second of the NBA Play-offs, for over two months, there could not have been a happier outcome. I rooted for the Nuggets from the get-go. (Well, to win the West; if the Milwaukee Bucks had made the Finals against them, I would have been torn.)

After being the best team in the West since December, (which is a rare occurrence for any team,) the Nuggets totally deserved to be NBA Champions. And Nikola Jokic definitely deserved to be voted the MVP of the Finals. He should have been the regular season MVP, as well, but he had already won that honor for the past two years, so I feel that the voters, (one hundred sportswriters and broadcasters,) decided to give it to someone else this year. Shame on them.

So let’s talk about the Joker a bit. He’s so nice and genuinely humble. He never says how great he is, (as many others do, including Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, who did not even make the Finals; after one of his play-off games, he said, “I’m one of the best players in the world.” Ugh.) Nor does Joker ever make those stupid gestures that others do, such as LeBron James miming putting the crown on his own head when he does something good.

And Nikola captured so many NBA records during these play-offs, although he brushes those off, too. For example, he averaged thirty points, fourteen rebounds, and over seven assists across the Finals, which took just five games, to boot!

There are so many other great stories during the Nuggets Championship. One of them is that Aaron Gordon won. He had been drafted fourth in the 2014 NBA draft, but, even though a starter for Denver, he always seems like an afterthought in the league. I’m especially happy for him to finally win something so big because he’s gotten screwed twice in the Slam Dunk contests that he should have been declared the winner of!

And even though Andre Jordan barely played in the postseason, (when he was a major starter with the LA Clippers just a few years ago,) I’m happy for him, too. He was always cheering his team on, big-time.

But most of all, I’m thrilled for, and amazed by, Jamal Murray. He was a wonderful player two years ago, and then in April of 2021, he tore his ACL and had to sit out from then until the beginning of this season, (October 2022,) which must have been torture for him. When anything happens to your knees, your life flashes in front of you and you think your career is over. Not to mention the rigorous work that goes into rehabbing it to be able to play again at all, let alone at that same high quality as before the injury.

And he was amazing in the playoffs once again. As far as I’m concerned, Jamal is co-MVP with Nikola!

During the victory parade, I actually thought of two things I’d love to tell Jamal if ever I meet him. Since those chances are slight, I’m going to tell all of you instead. First of all in the “bubble” playoffs in 2020, I love that he was so impressed that his opponent, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, scored over fifty points, (fifty-seven, to be exact,) against his own Nuggets. Someone with a camera came upon him sitting by himself one day, and he was just so nice about Donovan. And then just a few days later, Jamal scored fifty points against Donovan and the Jazz! I love that whole scenario.

The other thing that made me admire Jamal even more is that during the victory parade, a fan sent a picture he had painted of Jamal up to him on the fire truck he was riding on, along with a sharpie for him to sign it. This was in the middle of the parade where Jamal was with his family and friends and fans and teammates, and so much was going on. And Jamal actually stopped his own celebrating to get that done for the fan and get it back down to him. That really impressed me.

Now, I hate to bring the room down a little, but on the flip side of these 2023 Championships, I do feel bad for the Miami Heat. I think that their star, Jimmy Butler, really does feel that the season was nothing without a championship, even though they should be totally proud that they were only the second #8 seed ever to make it to the Finals. And they did so after losing their first Play-in game to the lesser Atlanta Hawks, and then coming back from fifteen down at the end to win the second game against the Chicago Bulls to even make it in to the Play-offs!!!

I feel that the rest of the team feels the same way only because Jimmy so imposes his belief on them, instead of them being soooo soooo soooo proud of themselves because of how far they went this season.

So congrats to the Heat for their amazing postseason run this year.

And a much bigger, major-to-the-max congratulations to the Denver Nuggets for their wonderful win. What perfect Champions they are!

My only problem now is what do I do next season? Do I stick with the Nugs, go back to my recent Bucks, or, most likely, go way back to my former San Antonio Spurs because of rookie Victor Wembanyama?! All of that will be determined once I get through baseball and tennis this summer.

But for now, you go, Nuggets!!! I’m thrilled for all of you!