For the first time in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets are NBA champions.
The Nuggets secured the title Monday with a 94-89 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic, who has averaged a triple-double in the series, was named Finals MVP.
The magical run of the Heat flamed out in the end. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the first Eastern Conference game in the recently-implemented play-in tournament, Miami needed to defeat the Chicago Bulls to secure the No. 8 seed.
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The Heat's victory over the Bulls sparked a historic stretch, which included the first conference finals appearance for an eighth seed in 24 years, according to Reuters, and the first Finals appearance in 24 years, as reported by the Miami Herald.
Established in 1967, the Nuggets reached the Conference finals four times, but never advanced to the Finals prior to this season.
Below, get a look at NBA fans' first reactions to the Denver Nuggets taking out Miami and finally securing a championship.
