Welcome to the NBA All-Star show, Jamal Murray.
And welcome back, Joker.
Nikola Jokic and Murray on Sunday will represent the Nuggets at the NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. It’s the first time since 2010 that Denver will have multiple representatives at the star-studded event, but the Nuggets have been well-represented at the All-Star Game for 50 years.
In chronological order, here are the top 10 moments involving Denver and the Nuggets at the NBA All-Star weekend:
1976 ABA All-Star Game
The date: Jan. 27, 1976
The place: McNichols Sports Arena (Denver)
The memory: OK, we’re cheating a little bit with the final ABA All-Star Game, which took place a few months before the merger with the NBA. But the always-innovative ABA had a final great idea to introduce what would become an NBA phenomenon. The first dunk contest took place in the Mile High City, with Nuggets superstar David Thompson competing with New Jersey Nets superstar Julius Erving, who won a dunk-off that took place at halftime of the game itself. Erving clinched the dunk title when he elevated from the free-throw line, though Thompson scored 29 points to win MVP of the game.
Game MVP: Thompson, Nuggets
Nuggets star David Thompson, shown here. on July 16, 1975, was the new Rookie of the Year who signed American Basketball Association contract for $3 million. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)
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1977 NBA All-Star Game
The date: Feb. 13, 1977
The place: Milwaukee Arena
The memory: The Nuggets burst onto the scene in their first season in the NBA. Under coach Larry Brown, Denver won 50 games and earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference standings before falling to eventual NBA champion Portland in the Western Conference semifinals. On the way to a highly successful first season in a new league, the Nuggets sent a trio of players to the All-Star Game in Thompson, Dan Issel and Bobby Jones, though only Thompson and Jones started.
Game MVP: Julius Erving, 76ers
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1984 NBA All-Star Game
The date: Jan. 29, 1984
The place: McNichols Sports Arena
The memory: It didn’t take long for McNichols to host the NBA’s showcase less than a decade after the final ABA All-Star Game. It came in the midst of shared dominance by the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who won eight titles in the decade. Those two teams sent five All-Star selections to Denver. The Nuggets were also well-represented with Alex English, who made his third of eight straight All-Star appearances for the franchise, and Kiki Vandeweghe.
Game MVP: Isiah Thomas, Pistons
Atlanta Hawks’ Spud Webb (4) sails up and almost over Denver Nuggets’ Alex English (2) as he tries for two points in the first period of their NBA game, March 11, 1986 in Atlanta’s Omni. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway, Jr.)
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2004 NBA All-Star Weekend
The date: Feb. 13, 2004
The place: Staples Center (Los Angeles)
The memory: This one was one of the most exciting overall All-Star weekends in Nuggets history. It was the first season of the Carmelo Anthony era, and he was part of a star-studded group of future Hall of Famers on the “freshmen” team at the Rising Stars Game. Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others made a valiant effort but couldn’t take down the “sophomores,” including Nuggets center Nene. A night later, sharpshooter Voshon Lenard became the only Denver player to win the Three-Point Contest, a feat Murray will try to replicate this year.
Rising Stars Game MVP: Amar’e Stoudemire, Suns
All-Star Game MVP: Shaquille O’Neal, Lakers
Twelve-year-old Spencer Freebury, front left, joins his 10-year-old brother, Chris, front right, both of Broomfield, Colo., in posing for a picture with cutouts of the members of the Denver Nuggets at the NBA All-Star Jam Session in Denver on Friday, Feb. 18, 2005. The jam session is part of festivities going on in Denver to mark the playing of the NBA All-Star game on Sunday. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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2005 NBA All-Star Weekend
The date: Feb. 20, 2005
The place: Pepsi Center (Denver)
The memory: It’s been 21 years since the Nuggets last hosted the All-Star Game. This one was special, with some of this century’s greatest players taking the court at Pepsi Center in a game the Eastern Conference team won, 125-115. Future Nuggets star Allen Iverson won MVP honors after scoring 15 points and dishing out 10 assists. But the real show for Denver diehards came in the Rising Stars Game. Anthony, then in his second season, scored a game-high 31 points in a win for the sophomores. He took home MVP honors. When’s the next time All-Star Weekend makes its way to the Mile High City?
Rising Stars Game MVP: Carmelo Anthony
Game MVP: Allen Iverson, 76ers
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2007 NBA All-Star Game
The date: Feb. 18, 2007
The place: Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas)
The memory: After consecutive Rising Stars appearances, Anthony had to wait until his fourth season for his first All-Star nod. It came as an injury replacement for Rockets big man Yao Ming. Anthony scored 20 points off the bench on 10-of-15 shooting, helping the Western Conference to a 153-132 win. Iverson was also named an All-Star in his first season in Denver but did not play in the game due to an injury.
Game MVP: Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Western player Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets dunks the ball during NBA All-Star basketball game against East players Joe Johnson (2) of the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron James (23) of Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwight Howard (12) of the Orlando Magic, as teammate Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers look in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
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2009 NBA All-Star Game
The date: Feb. 15, 2009
The place: US Airways Center (Phoenix)
The memory: The first of back-to-back All-Star appearances for Chauncey Billups, who made an immediate impact for his hometown squad as the Nuggets’ co-All-Star in 2009. He scored five points in the game and was part of another victory for the Western Conference.
Game Co-MVPs: Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Shaquille O’Neal (Suns)
Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups answers questions during media availability for the upcoming NBA All Star basketball game, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, in Dallas. Billups was a member of the Western Conference team. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)
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2013 NBA Rising Stars Game
The date: Feb. 15, 2013
The place: Toyota Center (Houston)
The memory: The “Manimal” burst onto the scene in Denver with an electric rookie campaign that has only been matched by a few first-year players with the Nuggets. The high point for Kenneth Faried came on All-Star weekend as he scored 40 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Team Chuck (Charles Barkley) to a win over Team Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) in the Rising Stars Game, standing out among the likes of Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and others.
Game MVP: Faried
Team Chuck’s Kenneth Faried, of the Denver Nuggets, holds the MVP trophy after the Rising Stars Challenge basketball game at NBA All-Star Weekend, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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2017 NBA Rising Stars Game
The date: Feb. 17, 2017
The place: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
The memory: This Sunday won’t be the first time Jokic and Murray share the court at All-Star weekend. It’s been almost a decade since the Denver duo showed its potential at the 2017 Rising Stars game, where they put on a show for Team World. Then a rookie, Murray scored a game-high 36 points and had 11 assists, while Jokic finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 150-141 win over the team of Americans.
Game MVP: Murray
NBA Entertainment’s Rick Pettit works on the show lighting for the 2005 NBA All-Star game at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
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2019 NBA All-Star Game
The date: Feb. 17, 2019
The place: Spectrum Center (Charlotte)
The memory: Hard to believe it’s been seven years, but Jokic’s first All-Star nod feels like a distant memory given his accolades this decade. The Serbian this season officially matched English’s franchise record of eight All-Star appearances. His first one, in 2019, was memorable as he was joined by coach Michael Malone in Charlotte. It was the first sign, too, Jokic wasn’t too keen on showing off around his peers. He had just six points in 13 minutes off the bench for Team Giannis (Antetokounmpo).
Game MVP: Kevin Durant, Warriors
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) goes up for a dunk during the first half of an NBA All-Star basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)