Denver Nuggets · Franchise era 4 of 6
Melo restores relevance: the Denver Nuggets story
Franchise era
2003–04—2010–11
Melo restores relevance
Denver Nuggets
The story in one sentence
Anthony ended an eight-year playoff drought immediately, and Billups later helped turn the group into a 2009 conference finalist.
01
Scoring, swagger and a conference-finals run
02
Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Marcus Camby gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for basketball after melo.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2003–04
What came before
Denver authored the first 8-over-1 upset in 1994, but injuries and turnover prevented the young roster from sustaining it.
2009
Western Conference Semifinals: Denver Nuggets vs Dallas Mavericks
2009
Western Conference Finals: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers
2010
Western Conference First Round: Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz
After 2010–11
What came next
A deep 57-win team briefly suggested a collective future before injuries forced another reset.
The core