The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA) but changed their name to the Rockets before the first season. The Rockets then changed their name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets.
George Matthew Karl is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he became an assistant with the team before being appointed as a head coach in 1980 with the Montana Golden Nuggets of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Three years later, Karl became one of the youngest National Basketball Association (NBA) head coaches in history when he was named coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers at age 33. By the time his coaching career came to an end in 2016, Karl coached nine different teams in three different leagues, which included being named Coach of the Year three combined times with one championship roster in the FIBA Saporta Cup. He is one of nine coaches in NBA history to have won 1,000 NBA games and was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 2012–13 season. While he never won an NBA championship, Karl made the postseason 22 times with five different teams, which included a trip to the 1996 NBA Finals with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Joseph Leynard Smith is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward, he played for 12 teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during his 16-year career.
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Antonio Spurs were crowned the champions after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Artis Wayne Cooper was an American professional basketball player who played fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Coop", he played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets from 1978 to 1992. He was the Denver Nuggets’ all-time leader in blocks when he left the franchise in 1989. After his playing career ended, he worked as an executive with the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
The 2006–07 Golden State Warriors season was the 61st National Basketball Association (NBA) season for the Golden State Warriors basketball franchise, and their 34th overall while based in Oakland, California. Following the 2005–06 season, in which the Warriors ranked last in their division, the team roster was greatly revamped following a blockbuster eight-player deal with the Indiana Pacers in January 2007. After an average start to the 2006–07 season, Golden State made a dramatic turn-around, ending the year on a 16–5 run, and capturing the eighth seed in the Western Conference, marking their return to the post-season after a thirteen-year hiatus, having last made the playoffs in 1994. The Warriors met the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, and shocked many in the basketball world when they defeated the Mavericks four games to two, for their first playoff series win since 1991, and becoming the third eighth-seeded team in NBA history to eliminate a first-seeded team in the playoffs, following the Denver Nuggets in 1994, and the New York Knicks in 1999. However, the Warriors met the Utah Jazz in the second round, and were defeated four games to one.
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, four games to one.
The 2008–09 Denver Nuggets season was the 42nd season of the franchise, 33rd in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished the regular season with 54 wins and 28 losses, the franchise's best record since 1987–88. In the playoffs, the Nuggets defeated New Orleans Hornets in five games in the first round; this series included a notable 58-point bludgeoning of the Hornets in Game 4. The Nuggets then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Semi-finals to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1985, ending their streak of five straight first-round exits. However, the Nuggets lost to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, ending their playoff run. This was the second straight year the Nuggets had their season ended by the Lakers.
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Chicago's Derrick Rose was named the 2010–11 NBA MVP.
The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden State Warriors. Along with their inaugural championship win in the 1946–47 season, the Warriors have won six others in the team's history, including another in Philadelphia after the 1955–56 season, and five more as Golden State after the 1974–75, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2021–22 seasons.
Michael Malone is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had also been the head coach of the Sacramento Kings in 2013–2014. Malone previously served as an assistant coach of the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets, and Golden State Warriors.
The 2011 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki was named NBA Finals MVP.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team commenced play in 2002 after the NBA granted founder George Shinn an expansion franchise to play in New Orleans. The Pelicans' establishment was unusual compared to most modern expansion teams in that New Orleans' roster was not stocked through an expansion draft. Instead, Shinn transferred the entire basketball organization of his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, to his new franchise.
The 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season was the 71st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 55th in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the climax season of the Warriors’ dynasty, they won their fifth NBA championship, and second in three seasons, setting the best postseason record in NBA history by going 16–1. This Warriors team is widely considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history. They entered the season as runners-up in the 2016 NBA Finals, after a record breaking regular-season in 2015–16. With the landmark acquisition of free agent and 7-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant in the offseason, the Warriors were hailed as a "superteam" by the media and fans, forming a new All-Star "Fantastic Four" of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The Warriors broke over 20 NBA records on their way to equaling their 2014–15 regular-season record of 67–15, their second most wins in franchise history.
The 2018 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 14, 2018, and ended on June 8, with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors sweeping the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0. Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
The 2017–18 Golden State Warriors season was the 72nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 56th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors entered the season as the defending NBA champions and repeated, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0 in the Finals. It was the first time in NBA history and in North America's four major professional sports leagues that two teams had met to compete for a Championship for a fourth consecutive year. It was the Warriors' third championship in four years, and sixth overall. Golden State won the Pacific Division title and Western Conference Championship for the fourth consecutive season. In the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the First Round 4–1 and the New Orleans Pelicans 4–1 in the Semi-finals. They beat the top-seeded Houston Rockets 4–3 in the Western Conference Finals.
The 2019 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2018–19 season. The playoffs began on April 13 and ended on June 13 with the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeating the two-time defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors in 4 games to 2 to win their first title in franchise history. Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals MVP for the first time since 2014.
The 2018–19 Golden State Warriors season was the 73rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 57th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors entered the season as the two-time defending NBA champions, having won back-to-back NBA championships. The Warriors attempted their first "three-peat" in franchise history, but were defeated by the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals. This was the Warriors' final season at Oracle Arena in Oakland, before moving to the new Chase Center in San Francisco, beginning with the 2019–20 NBA season. The Warriors won the Pacific Division title and Western Conference Championship for the fifth consecutive season. They finished with the best record in the Western Conference, with a record of 57–25. Golden State made the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, a new franchise record. The previous record was six, in the team's first six years of existence between 1947 and 1952. Golden State recorded 50 wins for the sixth consecutive season, a franchise record. In the postseason, the Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 4–2 in the first round, the Houston Rockets 4–2 in the Western Conference Semi-finals, and swept the Portland Trail Blazers 4–0 in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors' run ended in the NBA Finals, where they lost 4–2 to the Toronto Raptors. Golden State made their fifth consecutive Finals appearance and are the second team in NBA history to achieve this feat after the Boston Celtics made ten straight between 1957–1966. The Warriors playoff run was riddled with injuries, with DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney all missing a combined total of 26 games.
The 2021–22 Golden State Warriors season was the 76th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 60th in the San Francisco Bay Area, and its third season at the Chase Center. After failing to make the playoffs the previous two seasons, the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the Finals. It was the Warriors' fourth championship in eight years, and seventh overall.
