The Nuggets now have a perfect history in the NBA Finals.
Yep, you read that right.
Denver had never made it to the NBA Finals before qualifying for the event in 2023. Superstar center Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets to a Western Conference Finals sweep of LeBron James' Lakers, defeating the league's most historic and top-ranking team to make their own destiny.
And after just five games in the NBA Finals, Jokic and Co. were able to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy and become NBA champions.
MORE: How Nuggets' Nikola Jokic is outsmarting the Lakers, forcing Anthony Davis to adjust
Here's everything to know about the Nuggets' history in the NBA Finals after the 2022-23 iteration of the team wrote themselves into headlines.
How many NBA championships have the Nuggets won?
The Nuggets have now won one NBA championship. They defeated the Miami Heat 4-1 in the 2023 NBA Finals to win their first league title.
Yep, that's right. Before 2023, Denver Nuggets have never won an NBA championship. They had never even been to the finals before that season, but they weren't the only members of that club.
The Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans have also never made NBA Finals appearances in their lifespan.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers are the only active teams to have made Finals appearances and not come out with the title. The Chicago Stag and Washington Capitals both did the same before they folded in the early 1950s.
MORE: Which teams have never made the NBA Finals? Nuggets make history with trip in 2023
How close have the Nuggets come to the Finals before?
The Nuggets, who changed their name during the 1974-75 season, have accumulated a playoff record of 82-128 since 1976.
Since their franchise creation in Colorado in 1967, they have recorded 34 playoff berths, been division champions 12 times and been conference champions once, which came during the 2023 season.
The Nuggets had made it as far as Conference Finals four times prior, but the Lakers crushed their title hopes in three out of their four appearances. The only other franchise to bounce Denver from the Conference Finals stage was the Seattle Supersonics in 1977-78.
Last year, the Nuggets lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors, 4-1.
This year, they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round, the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Conference Semifinals, and the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in the Conference Finals.
And then, they beat the Heat in the NBA Finals in five games.
MORE: Watch the NBA Finals with SlingTV
List of championships, appearances per NBA team
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have the most championships, while the Lakers have the most overall appearances. There are five teams who have never made an appearance and five teams who have made appearances but never won.
The Nuggets are now one of just four NBA teams to win each of their NBA Finals appearances.
| Team | Championships | Finals appearances |
| Lakers | 17 | 32 |
| Celtics | 17 | 22 |
| Warriors | 7 | 12 |
| Bulls | 6 | 6 |
| Spurs | 5 | 6 |
| 76ers | 3 | 9 |
| Pistons | 3 | 7 |
| Heat | 3 | 6 |
| Knicks | 2 | 8 |
| Rockets | 2 | 4 |
| Bucks | 2 | 3 |
| Cavaliers | 1 | 5 |
| Hawks | 1 | 4 |
| Wizards | 1 | 4 |
| Thunder | 1 | 4 |
| Trail Blazers | 1 | 3 |
| Mavericks | 1 | 2 |
| Kings | 1 | 1 |
| Nuggets | 1 | 1 |
| Raptors | 1 | 1 |
| Suns | 0 | 3 |
| Jazz | 0 | 2 |
| Nets | 0 | 2 |
| Magic | 0 | 2 |
| Pacers | 0 | 1 |
| Hornets | — | — |
| Clippers | — | — |
| Grizzlies | — | — |
| Timberwolves | — | — |
| Pelicans | — | — |
