Denver community rejoice together amid team's long-awaited trip to NBA Finals

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It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world.

The Nuggets — yes, those sometimes-lovable and often-forgettable Nuggets — are in the NBA Finals.

The way they made it says everything about their near half-century in the league, and just how different this team is from every Denver team, even the really good ones, that preceded it.

The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They did it against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that has caused them so much of their pain. Before the Western Conference finals, Denver was 0-7 in playoff series against the Lakers. Now, Denver is 1-7.

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"It’s almost like shock a little bit," Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said, echoing a sentiment certainly being felt across the franchise’s long-suffering fan base. "You’re just like unsure, like, are you sure we don’t have more time on the clock? Are you sure we don’t have another quarter to play or another game to play?"

With all due respect to Dan Issel, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and everyone else who ever wore rainbows, Nikola Jokic is the best player to put on a Denver uniform. He recorded his eighth triple-double of the playoffs in Monday night’s 113-111 win over LA, surpassing a record for a single postseason held by none other than Lakers great Wilt