Chris Andersen

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Throwback Thursday | Chris Andersen

You knew it was love between the Mile High City and Chris Andersen when people began popping up at Halloween parties or costume contests or were trick-or-treating dressed as the Birdman. Hair moussed-up into a Mohawk. Fake tattoos plastered on every free piece of skin.

Because, almost being him had to be as good as being him, right?

Perhaps. But being Chris Andersen was really, really good. He took the Nuggets by storm by just being him. Outside of Dikembe Mutombo and Marcus Camby, Andersen was arguably the most famous shot-blocker in the franchise’s history. His 624 blocks in seven seasons with the Nuggets is tied for fourth with Alex English on the team’s all-time list. His 1.7 average per game in his time with the Nuggets ranks eighth on the team’s all-time list.

The Nuggets originally signed Birdman, then a skinny 6-foot-10 power forward, out of Blinn College as an undrafted free agent in 2001. His athleticism stood out. He spent three seasons with the Nuggets before moving on to New Orleans. But it was his second stint with the team that his athleticism really shined. After a couple of seasons in New Orleans, Andersen returned to the Nuggets in 2008. And he made his presence immediately felt.

Andersen averaged 2.5 swats that season – in just 20.6 minutes per game. Per 36, that was a ridiculous 4.3 blocks per game, and it gave everyone a clear look at just how valuable a reserve Andersen was. His contributions in rim protection and on the boards were critical to the Nuggets advancing to the Western Conference Finals that year.

His success off the bench enabled his personality to shine. He flapped his arms after dunks and blocks. He played with mounds of energy. The tattoos became more plentiful and more colorful. He was an outside-the-box personality in a sport that confines its players inside the four lines of a 94-foot court. Andersen quickly became a fan favorite, none the least of which was because he loved them just as much.

Andersen led the Nuggets in single season blocks twice. He was also a high percentage shooter in the paint, catching lobs, cleaning up missed attempts, and running the court like a gazelle on fast breaks to finish with thunderous dunks.

In 2017, Andersen finished his 15th season in the NBA, not with the Nuggets but still creating fans wherever he goes. Still, it is the thrills that he authored with the Nuggets that have endeared him to this city forever.

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#TheGoldenAge: Chris 'Birdman' Andersen

One of the most successful seasons in Nuggets history methodically built itself to greatness month-after-month. The 2008-09 Nuggets were a study in steadiness, consistency, and a near-perfect blend of high-scoring offense and disruptive defense.

The roster itself was “officially” complete when the Nuggets traded for Chauncey Billups just three games into the season. And Mr. Big Shot, coming back to Denver from Detroit, fit in seamlessly. The Nuggets, 1-3 at the time Billups played his first game with the Nuggets, won that game and never looked back.

With Billups, the Nuggets went 53-25 the remainder of the season. But more importantly, they had The Look. We’re talking about the look of a winner. There was talent already on the roster, led by Carmelo Anthony. But Billups gave the team the blueprint of how to win, the moxie to win games of all kinds, the steely nature to perform in the most pressure-packed moments, and the hunger to never get complacent. And defensively, Billups became the proverbial head of the snake of a Nuggets team that finished in the top 10 in defensive rating.

Along the way, they carved out a personality of a team that could not only beat opponents, but beat them up in the process. Billups, Dahntay Jones and Kenyon Martin were the core of a physical squad that could win 88-80, as they did over the Bobcats that season; or win 129-116, as they did over Golden State late that season. They ascended to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

And in the playoffs, these Nuggets took off.

It started with a breeze in the first round. The Nuggets were too powerful for the Chris Paul and David West-led New Orleans Hornets. They not only won that series 4-1, but had a victory for the ages on the road in Game 4 in front of a stunned Hornets crowd. The Nuggets won that game by 58 – 58! – points, a margin of victory that still stands as tied for the largest win in NBA playoffs history.

Two games were competitive in that series, a fiery five-game affair between the two teams. Games 3 and 4 were decided by a total of three points – the Nuggets won one of them. Otherwise, Denver won every other game by an average of 13.3 points. Four more wins in five games. It was on to the conference finals to face Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

After a Nuggets’ 19-point win in Game 4, the series stood tied at two games apiece. The Lakers pulled out the final two games, but the Nuggets had served notice that they were, in fact, a bonafide contender.

And the team was stuffed with memorable players. Billups and Melo and Martin. Nene and Birdman and Linas Kleiza. Jones and J.R. Smith and Anthony Carter. Players that lifted the Nuggets to just the franchise’s second appearance in the conference finals.

The 2008-09 team was Nuggets basketball at its best. It very nearly led them to the NBA Finals.

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#TheGoldenAge: The 2008-09 Nuggets

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