Every NBA team's best iteration ever

Every NBA team’s best iteration ever

PORTLAND, OR - 1987: Head Coach Pat Riley leads Magic Johnson #32, Byron Scott #4, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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DENVER, CO – CIRCA 1976: David Thompson #33 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during an ABA basketball game circa 1976 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. Thompson played for the Nuggets from 1975-82. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Denver Nuggets: 1975-76

The lack of available video footage of old ABA games is a shame for a number of reasons. Here’s one of those reasons: I’d really like to lose hours watching highlights of the 1975-76 Denver Nuggets on YouTube. They featured a rookie David Thompson, an electrifying athlete whose nickname of Skywalker was well earned. Thompson led the team in scoring with 26 points per game, with Dan Issel contributing 23 along with 11 rebounds as well. In addition to those two Hall of Fame players, they also featured another who absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame: Bobby Jones. Over the course of his career, Jones made 11 appearances on the All-Defensive team, 10 of which were on the First Team. He was much more than just a defensive specialist though as he was able to score nearly 15 points per game while leading the ABA in shooting percentage. Finally, there was Ralph Simpson, who scored nearly 20 points nightly while being second in the league in assists that season. Collectively, the Nuggets put up 121.9 points per game and had the best record in the ABA at 60-24.

Despite their offensive firepower, the Nuggets were unable to defeat Julius Erving and the New York Nets in the final ABA Finals. Erving averaged 37 points in the six-game series, and led the Nets to victory. While they made the Conference Finals in their first season in the NBA, injuries and drug abuse halted the ascension of Thompson and, in the summer of 1978, the team traded Jones and Simpson, ending their core’s run, leaving 1976 as the franchise’s best year.

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