Former Nuggets coach Doug Moe dies after cancer battle, son says

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Former NBA coach Doug Moe died, his son David said on Tuesday. He was 87.

David informed several of the coach's friends that his father had passed away after a lengthy bout with cancer.

Longtime Denver TV personality Ron Zappolo also confirmed the passing to The Associated Press. Moe was an ABA original and gained fame over a rumpled, irreverent decade as coach of the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s.

In a tribute to Moe posted to social media, the Nuggets remembered him as a "a one-of-a-kind leader and person who spearheaded one of the most successful and exciting decades in Nuggets history."

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Denver Nuggets head coach Doug Moe pleads with his team in the closing seconds of a game against the Houston Rockets in May 1986. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

In 15 seasons as a head coach, Moe had stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. He never won a title — his most memorable run came in 1985 when his best Denver team fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. He was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988.

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More than for wins and losses, Moe will be remembered for his motion offense and for the equally entertaining shows he put on while prowling the bench during his coaching days. His Denver teams led the league in scoring over five straight seasons in the early 1980s, and he rarely ran a set play.

Former Nuggets head coach Doug Moe stands next to his retired number during the team's 50th anniversary celebration, Oct. 21, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. (AP