🏀 The Nuggets Strike Gold

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SERBIAAAA! THIS IS FOR YOU! 🇷🇸 

The Denver Nuggets have won their first championship in franchise history, and Nikola Jokic is your Finals MVP. Denver is flyin’ high, and we’re right there with them! This is what it’s all about, folks!

Today’s Lineup

Reached the Mountaintop: The Nuggets struck championship gold! 🏆

Enjoy-ing the Draft: Our friends at No Ceilings talk NBA Draft storylines… 📊

A (Hilarious) Year to Remember: Some of the funniest moments from the 2022-23 NBA season. 🤣

But first, some trivia:

Jarritos

The NBA season may be winding down, but our thirst for Jarritos is year-round!

Whether you’re a Bulls, Knicks, or Lakers fan, we can all agree on one thing: Jarritos is the best drink to have waiting in the fridge when the games tip off.

There’s no wrong way to enjoy Jarritos. From Pineapple to Watermelon to Mango, there’s a flavor for everyone!  🥭 🍍 🍉

There’s truly nothing like enjoying a cold Jarritos. With no high fructose corn syrup, it’s certainly not your average soda.

Go pick up a Fiesta Pack today 🎊 and see what all the hype is about!

Denver: City of Champions

With over 55 years of history and thousands of games played, the Denver Nuggets have more than paid their dues. And on Monday night, they finished the job and captured the Mile High City’s first NBA championship.

First off, let’s give credit where credit’s due: Miami certainly made the Nuggets work for it. The Heat came out of the gate with a defensive edge in Game 5, forcing nine first-half turnovers while allowing just one made three. On the other side of the ball, they benefitted from some solid work at the line, timely threes from Kyle Lowry, and a monster start by Bam Adebayo that lead to a seven-point lead heading into the break.

But with the deafening Ball Arena crowd behind them, the Nuggets regrouped, readjusted, and rolled their way through the second half.

Sure, you can point to the excellent offensive showing from Jamal Murray or the great fourth-quarter burst from Michael Porter Jr (including this ridiculous move that we still can't believe he pulled off). But at the end of the day, this one came down to defense.

Denver put on an absolute defensive CLINIC, complete with crisp switches, tenacious pressure, and sound fundamentals across the board. The Heat scored just 38 points after the break on 29% shooting, despite a late 13 point flurry from Jimmy Butler.

And for all the talk of turning Nikola Jokic into a scorer, it's only right that he ended the series smashing that narrative to bits. 19 points, 80% shooting, and not a single assist after halftime.

As the seconds crept down and the crowd erupted with each Miami miss, it was impossible to look away. Years of anticipation were finally satisfied as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope dribbled out the clock.

After the game, in classic fashion, Jokic’s mind seemed to be back in Serbia with his horses immediately after the final buzzer sounded. That is, until he took Jamal Murray for a swim a few minutes later:

This chip? This was for the Skywalker David Thompson, the always reliable Dan Issel, and the glory days of the ABA. This was for the scoring phenom Alex English and the all-time multitool Fat Lever. This was for Dikembe Mutombo clutching the ball in ecstasy in ‘94. And this was for Carmelo Anthony_, Denver's prodigal son.

To every one of the 419 players who have suited up in the Mile High City over the years, and to the thousands of fans who have been there every step of the way: live it up, Denver. This is what dreams are made of.

Draft Storylines Ft: No Ceilings

What’s up Enjoyers, it's your friends from the No Ceilings crew here to bring you a little primer into the 2023 NBA Draft. Now that we’ve crowned a new NBA champ, it’s officially Draft SZN, so let’s get y'all up to speed with some of the biggest storylines at the top of the Draft.

The Victor Sweepstakes

The San Antonio Spurs landed the first pick on lotto night, which means that Victor Wembanyama will be taking his talents to San Antonio for the foreseeable future. This is a no-brainer pick, as Wembanyama delivered on the “generational” hype after leading the Metropolitans 92 to the championship while acting as a walking highlight reel.

What Does Charlotte Do at 2?

The draft starts here, and all eyes will be on Charlotte with the second pick. The two names in the convo should be Alabama’s Brandon Miller and the G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson. Does Charlotte look to pair Henderson and his dynamic athleticism with LaMelo Ball and give themselves a deadly backcourt? Or do they go for the sharp-shooting Brandon Miller on the wing alongside Melo? Quite the decision for Buzz City. You decide:

The Twins

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson have been two of the most hyped prospects coming into the 2023 NBA Draft. Playing in Overtime Elite, the Thompson twins dazzled fans all season with their incredible athleticism and playmaking. Fans are eager to see where both Thompson twins land, as they have the tools to electrify at the NBA level. Either twin could sneak into the top 3 and shake this whole draft up.

Detroit Rock City

Detroit was considered one of the “losers” on lotto night after falling to the fifth pick. But that doesn’t mean Detroit can’t add a new member to their young core! Villanova wing Cam Whitmore could bring the house down, while Houston’s Jarace Walker is another name to watch. Don’t rule out a Thompson twin or UCF’s Taylor Hendricks in this spot either. 👀

Frozen Moments

• The only man who could pick up Jokic? His brother! 💪

• 11 teams in 15 years… this Jeff Green interview brought a smile to our faces 😁

• An emotional Jamal Murray basked in championship glory 🥲

What We’re Enjoying

The Denver Nuggets Were Built to Last - Rob Mahoney (The Ringer)

Lots of Laughs: This viral tweet prompted hundreds of hilarious replies about this season’s funniest moments. Remember the Shannon Sharpe vs. Dillon Brooks beef? Patrick Beverley showing the refs… a replay? Klay Thompson counting his rings over and over… and over? There’s too many good moments to list them all here, so click below to see them all. 💀 

Signing Off

That’s all from us this season! Time to get outside and Enjoy that summer sun. Don’t forget to come back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for quality offseason content—draft coverage, trade rumors, free agency chaos, you name it. We’ll have you covered.

And don't forget to give our friends at No Ceilings a follow on YouTube and Substack!

Until next time,

-Conor and Spencer 

Trivia Answer: The 2019 Raptors had two All-Stars: Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry. Mainly due to injuries (and legendary execution), Giannis, Dirk and Tony Parker were the only players on their respective championship rosters to make the All-Star team that year.

Before you go…