Opening the 2023-24 NBA season against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers would have been big enough news by itself, but tonight there is more. The team will probably come running out onto the court as the DJ blasts Tobe Nwigwe’s song “Fye Fye.” Flashing lights will shoot across the darkened arena like a European dance club. The Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, will probably say a few words. And the Championship banner will slowly be hoisted to the rafters to deafening applause. But we are no longer just the Denver Nuggets. We are the reigning World Champion Denver Nuggets – and we’re... Read More

Late last summer, following the fast-growing trend, my gym made the decision to convert the entirety of its rooftop tennis courts into Pickleball courts. I get it. Pickleball is low-impact and all-inclusive. I see husbands and wives playing, the coordinated and the not-so-coordinated playing, the fit and not-quite-as fit, and plenty of elderly. Sometimes all on the same court! Gyms are now considered Judge Free Zones – so I accepted the change, tried not to judge, and moved on. A few months later, the gym continued its deconstruction by converting the indoor basketball court into permanent Pickleball... Read More

And then there were four. Luka Doncic could have defeated the Phoenix Suns by himself, and after a first half in which Doncic scored 27 points, equaling the Suns halftime total, he almost did. Spencer Dinwiddie added 30 points on 11 of 15 shooting. Jalen Brunson chipped in 24 points, and the Dallas Mavericks made 19 of their 39 threes (48.7%) on their way to a lopsided 123-90 game seven victory. The Boston Celtics got 27 points from Grant Williams, 23 from Jason Tatum, and 19 from Jaylen Brown as the team made 22 of their 55 threes (40%) in a game seven route of the Milwaukee Bucks, 109-81. The... Read More

The reality is that the NBA All-Star Game has an unfair advantage over other professional leagues when it comes to staying authentic. In hockey, the NHL does a nice job breaking plates with the Skills Competition, but a red robin of games played without hip checks is just not hockey. Major league baseball puts on a homerun clinic. But you never care who wins, there are two dozen pitching changes, and you tend to nod off after your favorite player gets replaced after going 0 for 2. And then there is the Pro Bowl where the top five quarterbacks had dinner reservations and couldn’t attend, players... Read More

As Kevin Durant held the ball at the top of the key the entire arena knew what was coming.  Down by two points with just seconds left in a pivotal game seven, Durant went to work. A few dribbles, a spin, a step-back-three, and the crowd erupted. A storybook ending in which Durant single-handedly willed his team to victory by scoring 48 points, including the game-winner, advancing the Brooklyn Nets into the Eastern Conference Final. At least, that is how the story would have gone if it was not for Durant’s size 18 shoes. Instead, an official video review showed that Durant’s mammoth shoes barely... Read More

The last time a Denver Nugget won an MVP award was back in 1969-70.  The player was Spencer Haywood, the league was the ABA, and technically, he wasn’t a Nugget, as the team was then called the Denver Rockets. Since the merger from the ABA to the NBA, there have been many great Nuggets such as Alex English, David Thompson, and Carmelo Anthony.  But none have won an MVP. Nikola Jokic is looking to change that. The oddsmakers will point to a Lebron James (LAL), Joel Embiid (PHI), or a James Harden (BRK) as betting favorites to take home the trophy, but the sixth-year center from Serbia shouldn’t... Read More

As I headed downstairs to make coffee the other morning, I stared at the empty calendar hanging in the kitchen. The quarantine had turned the days and months irrelevant.  My sports-themed, Drew Litton calendar, usually marked up with family activities, summer road trips, and neighborhood barbeques, hung empty. Past July’s had meant trips to the Coast for days on the beach, small town festivals filled with music and food, and visiting family across the states. The highlight of this summer was watching Hamilton on Disney Plus. It was then that I noticed that, according to my calendar, Tuesday,... Read More

Predicting how the Denver Nuggets will finish in the NBA West may take a mathematical algorithm that includes statistical analysis of teams and players.  Or maybe chemistry, or the lack thereof, will provide a better answer.  Will Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the LA Clippers dominate as expected?  Is one ball enough for James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the Houston Rockets?  Can Lebron James accept playing second-fiddle to Anthony Davis for the LA Lakers?  Welcome to the Wild West Kristaps Porzingis, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson. With all the moves and roster overhauls, here’s a... Read More

The 2019-20 NBA Schedule was just released, and the calendar is full of exciting games and stars visiting the Pepsi Center this season. The Lakers with Lebron and AD, the Clippers with Kawhi and Paul George, Zion is coming, as are Harden and Westbrook. But I want you to circle November 19th as a game you may want to attend. The Atlanta Hawks are coming to town. Now, before you stop laughing, it’s true that Atlanta was only 29-53 last season, they’re not a playoff team, and while Trae Young is fun to watch, it’s hardly worth dealing with rush hour traffic for. But a few weeks ago, Vince Carter... Read More

For some reason, my editor frowned upon my original idea entitled, “Who Doesn’t Want a Threesome?” so, I dropped it to a duo. With Paul George teaming up with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, and Lebron having tacos with Anthony Davis and the Lakers, the question begs the answer: where does the duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray rank among the NBA elite? The rules are simple.  Some guys are old, some guys are injured, but if you were starting a team tomorrow and had the choice of the following dynamic duos, how would they rank? Here’s how I see it. Lebron James and Anthony Davis—Los... Read More