How to Collect | The Denver Nuggets

Collecting the Stars of the Mile-High City

Since the Denver Nuggets first tipped off in the ABA more than half a century ago, fans in the Mile High City have been treated to high-scoring teams, young phenoms, and an all-time great who became champion. From Dan Issel, David Thompson, and Alex English, to the rise of Carmelo Anthony, and finally a championship breakthrough led by superstar Nikola Jokić, Denver has taken fans on a great ride.

Collectors can capture that enthralling story from the team’s early days right to the championship run and beyond. 

Denver Nuggets Mount Rushmore

While longtime Denver stalwart and second all-time leading scorer Dan Issel would be a worthy addition, this mountainside is etched with two scoring champions, an athlete who flew sky-high, and a three-time league MVP.

2003 Topps Chrome Basketball #113 Carmelo Anthony RC Black Refractor /500 

1980 Topps Basketball Alex English / Moses Malone / Winford Boynes 

1976 Topps Basketball #110 David Thompson RC 

2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome Basketball #55 Nikola Jokic

Early Nuggets Stars

Denver made the playoffs in 11 of the first 12 years after joining the league. The team’s first star was Dan Issel. The high-scoring forward was a perennial all-star in the ABA, also getting an All-Star nod in 1977 after the two leagues merged. His 1971 RC captures Issel with the Kentucky Colonels, where he played until joining Denver in 1975.

“Skywalker” David Thompson was one of the great leapers in the history of the sport. One of 10 players to score 70 or more points in a single game, he was a First-Team selection in both 1977 and 1978. Averaging a career-high 27.2 PPG in 1977/78, Thompson finished third in MVP voting and brought the Nuggets to their first-ever conference finals. Thompson and Issel led the team in scoring in a six-game loss to the Sonics.

In 1982, Issel and Thompson were joined by Alex English and Kiki VanDeWeghe, and the prolific offense won 46 games. Three years later, the Nuggets returned to the conference finals. Thompson and Kiki had moved on, but a 36-year old Issel and franchise player Alex English battled the Lakers in a tough six-game loss. English averaged over 30 PPG.

All four of these players are must-haves when it comes to collecting the Nuggets. 

Eight-time All-Star Alex English remains the top scorer in Denver history, with Issel second, and Thompson coming in at fifth.  

An Upset for the Ages

In 1993/94, the Nuggets went 42-40, setting up a matchup with the best team in the league, the 63-19 Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the playoffs. What followed was one of the biggest upsets in postseason history. The favored Supersonics coasted to a 2-0 lead, but Denver, led by Dikemebe Mutombo and his one-man block party (he averaged 6.2 per game in the five-game series), stormed back.

In the deciding Game 5, Bison Dele, who averaged only 20 minutes per game in the series, battled for 19 rebounds. Mutombo had eight blocks. 

A true team victory, LaPhonso Ellis led the way in the series with 16 PPG. Mutombo is a four-time DPOY and remains beloved in Denver. The iconic image of him crying tears of joy, clutching onto the basketball after the overtime win, remains one of the most memorable in franchise history. He’s a great chase for any Nuggets team collection.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf played six seasons in Denver, winning Most Improved Player in 1993. A phenomenal outside shooter, who twice averaged 19.2 PPG, Abdul-Rauf’s Refractor card can be found in 1993 Topps Finest. 

Mile-High Melo

After eight seasons out of the playoffs, Denver’s fortunes turned when Carmelo Anthony came to town. Already reaching icon status with his breathtaking performance leading Syracuse to the NCAA title, Melo took Denver to the playoffs in his rookie year and would do so for all seven seasons in the Mile High City. 

In 2009, Melo, joined by veteran and two-time champ Chauncey Billups, along with Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, and Nenê, went all the way to the conference finals. Anthony averaged 27.5 PPG in the six-game loss. His cards can be chased in a number of Topps releases during his time in Denver, including this 2003 Topps Collection RC, and a 2005 Chrome Refractor showing Melo scoring in the paint against Los Angeles.

Mile-High Champs

While taking Melo with the third overall pick in 2003 was a no-brainer, the Nuggets later found a gem in the deep second round that would change the franchise forever. Drafted in 2014, Serbian big man Nikola Jokic would develop from an intriguing prospect to an all-time talent.

In the last five seasons, Jokic has won MVP three times and finished runner-up twice. Today, he’s appointment viewing for basketball fans around the world. In 2023, Jokic took Denver to the crown, averaging 30 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and 9.5 APG in a historic championship effort.

The 2023 title team is full of players to chase, from Jokic, to his clutch guard running mate Jamal Murray, to the uber-athletic Aaron Gordon. Jokic himself has solidified his place as one of the most important athletes in The Hobby and is sure to be a major player in upcoming Topps releases.

Capturing History Your Way

From star scorers in vintage to the present-day best in the world, the story of the Denver Nuggets is one of high-powered offenses, brilliant team and individual play, and a champion still battling for more. As Nikola Jokic and co. gear up for another run at glory, now is a great time to get going on a Denver Nuggets team collection.

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