Jeff Green

Matt Brooks

See Jeff Green get his championship ring when he came back to Denver.

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Jeff Green Championship Ring Ceremony 💍

Jeff Green’s highlights from the 2022-23 season.

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Jeff Green 2022-23 Season Highlights

Jeff Green’s highlights from the 2022-23 NBA Finals versus the Miami Heat.

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Jeff Green 2022-23 NBA Finals Highlights | DEN vs. MIA

The Nuggets celebrated their first NBA title in franchise history in the streets of Denver, from Union Station to Civic Center. Players and team personnel danced atop a line of fire trucks. Some players—such as Bruce Brown, Christian Braun, DeAndre Jordan, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Jeff Green—took the party to the streets and gave high-fives to the buzzing crowd. At the Civic Center, the players addressed the crowd with speeches. Michael Malone transformed from an NBA head coach into a WWE-style hype man.

"You know what's funny? Jared Bednar, coach of the (Colorado) Avalanche told me, I said, 'When did it hit you?' He said at the parade. It's hitting me right now," said Malone through tears at the parade. "To share it with our fans, that means the world to me. This is an amazing experience. Something that I believed in. I had no doubt that we would get to this point. I had no doubt because of the people I work with every day. From Josh and Stan Kroenke, to Calvin Booth and his front office, to my coaching staff, and most importantly, the 17 players in that locker room.

"Life's about moments. It is. Life's about moments," continued Malone. "And what we just accomplished, 47 years in the making. And I just am so happy, not for me. Not for our players. But for our fans. We have people that were supporting this team for 47 years. To those fans for 47 years, I just want to say thank you for being patient, thank you for believing in us, and thank you for enjoying this journey, this process. Because we couldn't have done it without you. So Nuggets Nation, we love you."

Jamal Murray, who averaged 26.1 points and a career-high 7.1 assists through four rounds of playoff basketball, credited the fans for giving him energy throughout his impressive run. Murray famously thrives off the crowd to put up monstrous performances, like the time he tallied 53 combined points in three quarters of basketball between Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I appreciate everybody. We really did this. Y'all really did this. Y'all give me energy. We give you energy," said Murray. "We champs for life. Champions for life!"

Nikola Jokić, who won MVP in both the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, kept it short and sweet. As he usually does.

"You know, I (said) that I don't want to stay on parade, but I want to stay on (expletive) parade. This is the best. This is amazing," said Jokić to a jubilated crowd. "And when we see you guys that came out on the streets, and actually, this one is for you. We love you Denver, this one is for you."

Denver's eldest player, Jeff Green, waited 16 years for this moment. He celebrated his first NBA title on Thursday just 2 months away from his 37th birthday.

"All I gotta say is MILE HIGH, BABY!" screamed Green to the crowd. "Thank you, guys. It was a great season, grinding season. Your guys' support got us all away, and we appreciate you guys. We did this for you guys, the city of Denver. We did it for you! My teammates, I love you guys. I waited 16 long years for this moment."

The Nuggets aren't done yet. They're not satisfied. They want more.

Just this weekend, the Phoenix Suns, who Denver beat in the second round, acquired superstar guard Bradley Beal in a blockbuster deal. Miami, who Denver took care of in 5 games in the NBA Finals, appears to be in hot pursuit of Damian Lillard. The competition is already regrouping take down this potential juggarnaut in the Rocky Mountains. A Denver team that lost just 4 games all postseason.

"I got a crazy idea, man. I got a crazy idea. I'm kind of crazy. I'm a little bit emotional. Let's do it again," said Malone. "Let's do this again. I want to be on another float."

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NUGGETS CELEBRATE FIRST NBA TITLE IN FRANCHISE HISTORY DURING PARADE: "LET'S DO THIS AGAIN"

Jeff Green's interview at our champions parade on June 15.

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Nuggets 2023 Champions Parade Speech: Jeff Green (6/15/2023)

Jeff Green’s speech at our champions parade on June 15.

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Jeff Green addresses the media following our NBA Finals Game 4 108-95 win over the Miami Heat on June 9th.

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Nuggets Postgame Availability: Jeff Green (6/09/2023)

The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of closing out one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history.

They've lost just 4 total games throughout nearly four rounds of play. They've beaten their playoff opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions, which, if Denver closes things out against Miami, will be the best playoff net rating by an NBA champion since the 2017 Golden State Warriors, recognized by many as the greatest team in NBA history.

Though the Miami HEAT have tested them with aggressive defensive coverages and playoff-leading three-point shooting, Denver has continued to blow past its competition on the biggest stage of the NBA Finals. The Nuggets have outscored the HEAT by 9.3 points per 100 possessions en route to a 3-1 lead. Their one loss to Miami was by just 3 points in Game 2. Only one team in NBA history has recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

In short, the Nuggets are sitting pretty headed back to Denver for Game 5 at their home Ball Arena, where they're 9-1 in the postseason.

"We believed and we knew how good we were for a few years now," said Jamal Murray after Denver's 108-95 victory in Game 4. "So we're just focused, dialed in, and ready to do this thing."

As mentioned, Denver dropped Game 2 of the Finals in a disappointing performance that led to their first home loss of the postseason. Denver then followed that up with a pair of double-digit victories in Miami, a testament to their character and grit. Denver is now 6-3 on the road after the victories in Games 3 and 4, tied for the best away record in the postseason.

"As I told our players when we got on that plane to come down here, it wasn't just to get one win. Our mindset is to go out there and take it tonight," said head coach Michael Malone after Game 4. "It's been our mindset for Minnesota, Phoenix, Lakers, and now Miami. Go out and take it, because they are not going to give it to us."

Doing so required extreme focus, which is something Denver has excelled at throughout their dominant run. They've consistently dialed in on the game plan and prepared for their opponents.

"We've just been extremely focused in practice, walk-throughs, shootarounds," said Bruce Brown on Friday. "Everybody has been locked in, going kind of game speed, just going through their plays. So we knew exactly what we needed to do, and we locked in."

Denver's veterans have been instrumental throughout the entire process. Nikola Jokić named Jeff Green and DeAndre Jordan as the two guys that instilled the mentality of stealing away games in the NBA Finals.

"In the playoffs, you start winning when you're winning on the road," said Jokić. "That's what DJ and Jeff has told us, and they are right. Of course, every round, we won on the road, and I think that's stunning about us, too. We are not scared of the moment. We believe in each other. And especially on the road, you need to trust each other."

Denver's had no issue scoring the basketball throughout their entire run. They've averaged 119.3 points per 100 possessions in 19 games, an offensive rating that unsurprisingly leads the postseason. Second place on that list is the LA Clippers with a 116.3 offensive rating in 5 games. After that, it's a tie between the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns with a 116.1 offensive rating.

For context, the Sacramento Kings led the regular season with a 118.6 offensive rating, which was the best offensive rating in NBA history.

The Nuggets averaged 117.2 points per 100 possessions versus Minnesota in Round 1. They followed that up with a 120 offensive rating against Phoenix. The Western Conference Finals was Denver's best offensive performance yet with a 122.3 offensive rating against the Los Angeles Lakers. And in the Finals versus Miami's versatile junk defenses, Denver's scored 117.9 points per 100 possessions in four games.

They're one of the greatest playoff offenses in NBA history.

But in order to take down a tough Miami team, they've needed to do it on the other side of the ball, too. Denver's held the HEAT under 95 points in three of the four games. Miami's made just 42.4 percent of their shots against Denver in the Finals and 36.6 percent of their three-pointers after entering the series with a postseason-leading 39 percent accuracy from distance.

"We're all on a string," said Murray about Denver's defense. "Everybody is rotating for each other. Even if we make a mistake, somebody is there to step up, and if that person makes a mistake, somebody else is there. Even if we don't get the stop, we're all in the right mindset. I think we're doing a good job of just playing for each other on both ends of the floor."

That last sentence is important. Denver is playing for each other. Their chemistry is what has gotten them through four rounds of the playoffs largely unscathed. That comes from having a special culture in which no player is bigger or more important than the rest of the group.

"It's really rare," said Aaron Gordon about Denver's culture. "It's a blessing. It's awesome to play with these guys. These guys are so unselfish. They're so passionate about basketball, and they understand that you've got to keep energy in the ball, and if you play the right way, everything will work out the way it's supposed to. We can win. Everybody gets love when you win."

A humble, underdog mentality has also played a massive role in the process. That's continued into the Finals, where Denver has respected their opponent.

"I don't think we are big-time favorites. We've never had that mindset. Throughout these playoffs, we've been the underdog quite a few times," said Malone. "You're in the NBA Finals. They are here for a reason. We are here for a reason. I think you can see in the first three games, two really good teams, a lot of talent, a lot of fight. We don't expect any of this to be easy, nor do they. And that's the way it should be."

The job isn't finished for Denver. They have the chance to close out the series and secure the first NBA championship in franchise history. But that requires taking care of business on their home floor in Game 5, which is something the group is prepared for. Then comes the parade and celebration.

"We're excited, but the job’s not done," said Kentavious Caldwell-Pope about Game 5. "We’ve got one more. We’re just going to take it back home and try to close it out."

But that's what Denver has done throughout these playoffs; they've taken care of business. There's no reason to believe that'll stop now. Denver dropped Game 4 against Minnesota in the first round with the opportunity to sweep and has since then performed above and beyond standards. They've learned from their mistakes.

"We're just ready to win a championship," said Murray. "We have the tools to do it. It's been on our minds for a while. We're just locked in. I don't think you've got to overthink it. We're just dialed in, ready to win."

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JAMAL MURRAY AND THE DENVER NUGGETS ARE "READY TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP"

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Come out to the Denver Nuggets 2022-23 Draft Party Thursday, June 23rd @ 6:00 p.m. at Tom's Watch Bar, presented by Miller Lite! 

Watch your Denver Nuggets make their pick, win team signed gear, and meet Super Mascot Rocky! For more information <a href="https://www.nba.com/nuggets/watch-parties">Click Here</a>