

The Denver altitude can get the best of everyone from savvy veterans to draft prospects. 302 difference between home and road win percentage is the largest for any active franchise in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Away from Denver, the Nuggets are a paltry. It's no wonder why the Nuggets own an all-time home winning percentage of.

"It takes maybe a week or two to get acclimated to it." I feel like there wasn't even enough oxygen getting into my muscles when I played here. "Most definitely, oh my God," Gordon said of whether he felt the altitude when he used to play at Denver during his six and a half seasons with the Orlando Magic. Gordon needed to become a Colorado resident in order to feel acclimated to the Rockies. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon knows what it is like to not feel like yourself in Denver, especially when visiting from Florida. Whoa! Whoa! Did that just say ?įROM ANTHONY EDWARDS tossing a chair on his way off the floor after missing a 3 at the buzzer to force overtime for the Minnesota Timberwolves to Kevin Durant turning the ball over seven times in a Phoenix Suns loss, to James stunningly blowing a layup and later letting the ball slip out of his hands on a breakaway dunk, opponents have experienced some inexplicable out of character moments in Denver this postseason. "You're like in the layup line, did you hear that s-? Yo, hold on.

"You know what do before games just to f- with your mental? 'Welcome to Denver. "That s- real," Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett said recently on Showtime's "KG Certified. In case the Heat - winless in Denver since the 2016-17 season - don't feel the altitude physically, the Nuggets will do all they can to make them feel weaker mentally. Trying to keep the 6-11, 284-pound Nikola Jokic out of the paint and off the glass while also chasing Jamal Murray through screens is that much more daunting when opponents feel like they need an oxygen mask while their legs and lungs tighten. The Nuggets are 8-0 this postseason at Ball Arena, where they posted the second-best regular-season home record at 34-7 (Memphis was 35-6). When the Nuggets return to the court after a nine-day break for Game 1, the fabled Mile High altitude will make its NBA Finals debut. "Yeah, it's real," Lakers star LeBron James said before Game 1 of the West finals.
2002 denver nuggets record free#
Just like the Lakers were advised, from the moment when the Miami Heat walk off the bus past a mural that reads "Welcome to the Mile High City, 5,280' above sea level" to the large "5280" next to each free throw line, the newly minted Eastern Conference champs will be reminded often they are no longer in South Beach, which boasts an elevation above sea level of just under Jimmy Butler's 6-foot-7 height.ĭenver not only owns the most suffocating home-court advantage in the NBA, but no active franchise in history has had more success at home compared to on the road. That is followed by a "Low Oxygen Levels" flash and the number "5280" with a heartbeat pulse darting across the screen.

The next graphic shows an X-ray of an upper body with the chest area pulsating red. The alert on the big screen begins to shake and blur as if altitude sickness has already set in. "High levels of exertion at this altitude may cause hypoxia with symptoms of fatigue, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, headaches and confusion." "All visitors to the Mile High City be warned," Speller says in an ominous voice. WITH THE LIGHTS dimmed for the introduction of the starting lineups, Ball Arena directs everyone's attention to the big screen for an urgent message.ĭenver Nuggets public address announcer Kyle Speller proceeds to deliver a grim caution to the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans before the start of the Western Conference finals. On Monday night, the Nuggets return home for Game 5 of the NBA Finals (8:30 ET, ABC). NBA Finals 2023: How the Denver Nuggets' altitude advantage takes air out of opposing teamsĮditor's note: This story was originally published on May 31.
2002 denver nuggets record upgrade#
You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
