The Denver Nuggets are waking up this morning wearing the NBA crown for the first time in their 47-year franchise history.
It was quite the run for the Mile high ballers, and it also got me thinking about how the titles in Denver and Milwaukee echo similarities.
In 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks won their second title after waiting 50 years.
Throughout NBA history, only six players born outside the United States have gone on to win NBA Finals MVP.
The Nuggets are led by their Serbian MVP, Nikola Jokic, who fought his way to NBA stardom, overcoming numerous obstacles to get here.
The Bucks, well, we know the story around the Greek Freak, is also a former NBA Finals MVP.
The city of Denver, although a much more populous city, is very similar to basketball popularity in Milwaukee.
The Bucks won their title with critical additions such as Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, and PJ Tucker.
The Nuggets won theirs with crucial additions to the likes of Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Aaron Gordon.
Both teams have done a great mix of building through the draft and adding talent in vital moments.
Both winning coaches, Mike Budenholzer and Mike Malone, each started their head coaching careers in 2013.
Bottom line: Teams like the Nuggets and the Bucks winning NBA titles are nothing but great for the game of basketball, despite what the league wants you to believe.
