This year's NBA Finals, as chaotic as they surely were for many fans, brought the league a lot of standout moments and great displays of basketball. Of the entire season, though, few will stack up to a 47-year franchise reaching (and winning) their first title in history. The Denver Nuggets, composed of Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and many other great players, just beat the Miami Heat in the fifth game of their series in their home of Colorado. Undeniably, it was quite the nail-biting affair as both teams fought hard in what ended up being just a five-point difference. It's always bittersweet to see the season come to a close, but it's also amazing to see such milestones for such hard-working teams.
Of course, the series wouldn't have been complete without the amazing skills of The Joker. Jokić won the Bill Russell Finals Most Valuable Player trophy. It's also the first award that was given to a Finals MVP after Russell's passing, and as league commissioner Adam Silver said, it's fitting that it was to a center. In addition, plenty of flowers showered upon Jamal Murray, who just two years prior was barely able to walk.
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Denver Nuggets Earns Its First NBA Title In History
On the other hand, the Miami Heat proved as the 2023 Eastern Champions that they wouldn't go down without a fight. Jimmy Butler nabbed some incredible clutch threes throughout the game and it was overall a hard-fought battle. Both teams showed each other a lot of respect throughout the series, as misleading as the final 4-1 series may seem. Considering that they were an eighth seed in the post-season, their run all the way to the Finals was truly remarkable as well. Most importantly for fans, it was an overall great display of the game, and certainly an emotive moment for the Denver Nuggets.
Now that they nabbed their first Finals trophy in franchise history, it will be interesting to see how the next season plays out. Amid rumors that LeBron James is considering retirement and other massive shifts in the association, the guesses and predictions will flood in quick. For now, though, it would be a special moment to see any team win after a fantastic game, so congratulations are due to the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat. For the latest updates and news on the NBA, log back into HNHH.