This story originally appeared in Mile High Sports Magazine. Read the full digital edition.
One of the most colorful franchises – both literally and figuratively – in all of sports, the Denver Nuggets recently turned in their 40th year in the National Basketball Association. Seems like a great time to take a look back, identifying some of the organization’s most-colorful characters.
Editor’s Note: Many of the players that follow crossed timeframes. Rather than including those players in multiple eras, the staff at Mile High Sports voted as to which era they were most associated. Send your thoughts (and criticisms) to [email protected].
1976 – 1985
Hey! Hey! Hey! Denver’s in the Ennnn Beee Yayyy! And these Nuggets teams were pretty decent too. As a matter of fact, they won the division in each of their first two seasons after the merger.
Glen Gondrezick
6’6” | Small Forward
1979-83
Gondrezick’s numbers as a Nugget (or a Knick for that matter) weren’t necessarily impressive, as he averaged 6.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He was serviceable, however, considering that he only played a little more than 17 minutes per game. Gondrezick was still a hometown favorite, though, as he was a product of Boulder High School.
Dan Issel
6’9” | Center / Power Forward
1975-85
While Issel’s greatness is often tied to his years in the ABA, he still had plenty of gas in the tank once the Nuggets landed in the NBA. In fact, he was one of the most durable players of all time, playing in 1,218 of 1,242 possible games. When he retired in 1985, he left as the Nuggets’ all-time leading scorer (16,589) and rebounder (6,630). He still ranks among the top five in nearly every statistical category on the Nuggets’ all-time list.
Bobby Jones
6’9” | Power Forward
1974-78
While Jones certainly posted respectable numbers offensively (14.8 points per game), it was his defense that always set him apart. His nickname – “The Secretary of Defense” – was well-earned, as evidenced by eight selections to the NBA’s All-Defense First Team through his 12-year professional career. Jones even won the first-ever “Sixth Man of the Year” Award, hardware he collected as a ’76er in 1983.
VOTE IN THE ‘40 FOR 40’ NUGGETS POLL PRESENTED BY MILLER LITE
Anthony Roberts
6’5” | Small Forward
1977-80
It’s not Roberts’ 8.2 points per game scoring average with the Nuggets – or his 4.1 rebounds or 1.3 assists – that earn him a spot on the list. Those were just regular season numbers. The postseason is where Roberts shined. In the 13 playoff games that followed the 1977-78 season, Roberts went off, doubling his averages with 16.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. This effort helped to propel the Nuggets all the way to the Western Conference Finals. In the postseason that followed, Roberts again exceeded his regular season numbers with 11 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Dave Robisch
6’10” | Center / Power Forward
1971-75, ’80-84
After averaging 13.7 points and 9.1 rebounds during his ABA days with the Nuggets and Rockets, Robisch returned to Denver in 1980 as a fan favorite. While he wasn’t as productive during his second stint, his overall contributions (12.4 / 6.8) to the franchise were still impressive, justifying his status as one of the all-time greats in Denver.
Ralph Simpson
6’5” | Shooting Guard
1970-76; ’77-78
Primarily an ABA sensation in Denver, Simpson did have a short stint with the Nuggets once in the NBA. Always a scorer, Simpson averaged 19.5 points per game while wearing a Nuggets and Rockets uniform, and he did so shooting an impressive .457 average prior to the advent of the three-point line. Simpson was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame last spring.
David Thompson
6’4” | Shooting Guard
1975-82
In the history of Nuggets basketball, there may not be another player who electrified crowds like “Skywalker.” Neither before nor after Thompson’s run in Denver was there ever a player with his pure athleticism, earning honors as an All-Star in each of his first five seasons. Despite his battles with substance abuse, Thompson still managed an impressive 24.1 points per game with the Nuggets; in the ’77-78 season, he posted a whopping 27.2 average.
VOTE IN THE ‘40 FOR 40’ NUGGETS POLL PRESENTED BY MILLER LITE
Kiki Vandeweghe
6’8” | Small Forward
1980-84
A scorer in the purist sense of the word, Vandeweghe averaged 23.3 points per game during his four-year stretch with the Nuggets. In his final season in Denver, he poured in 29.4, the greatest scoring season of his illustrious 13-year career. Following that season, Vandeweghe was traded to Portland for a slew of players that would ultimately become the backbone of the ’80s Era Nuggets.
Bob Wilkerson
6’6” | Small Forward
1977-80
Wilkerson isn’t a household name these days, but in his three years with the Nuggets, he was a very solid contributor, averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Wilkerson was a key contributor to the 1977-78 team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
Chuck Williams
6’2” | Point Guard
1971-72, ’75-77
Having only played two full seasons and one partial season as a Nugget, Williams’ numbers – total or average – won’t wow the average fan. However, he was already well-liked when he returned to the Nuggets during their first season in the NBA. Not only was he a two-time ABA All Star – once with the Nuggets – but he was a product of the University of Colorado. With Denver, Williams posted 9.2 points and 3.1 assists per game.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube, Broadway Christian Church
