Nuggets celebrate their 1st NBA title with parade through the streets of downtown Denver

DENVER: Nikola Jokic rode atop a firetruck with people who mean the world to him — his teammate Jamal Murray, his family — and the NBA trophy.

Jokic and the Denver Nuggets soaked in the moment and were soaked, too, by champagne spray Thursday during a downtown parade to celebrate their first NBA title.

His young daughter, Ognjena, stole the show as she sat in front of him on the firetruck, at times wearing Jokic’s championship hat. Jokic turned in some big assists, too, shielding her from champagne showers.

This celebration has been a long time in the making and swarms of fans showed up. It took 47 seasons in the NBA for the franchise to finally make Denver the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

And to think, Jokic was more concerned about when he could return home to Sombor, Serbia, than attending the parade. The player known as “Joker” changed his tune following the festivities.

“This is amazing,” Jokic said. “We’re all going to remember this our whole lives.”

Near the end of the parade route, an officer was struck by a firetruck and suffered a serious leg injury, Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas said at a news conference. The officer was in serious and stable condition. Later in the day and after the parade, a shooting took place in the downtown area that injured two people. Thomas said the police didn’t believe the incident was associated with the celebration. It follows a mass shooting in downtown Denver after the Nuggets clinched the title Monday night. The shooting was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, according to police.

The Nuggets capped off an impressive postseason by beating the Miami Heat in the Finals in Game 5. The Nuggets finished 16-4 in the playoffs, which was tied for the second-best