The Denver Nuggets are one of the most successful NBA teams of the 2020s. Led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and one of the best players to never make an All-Star squad in Jamal Murray, the 2023 NBA Champions are poised to be one of the best teams in the league again this season as they try to knock off the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Nuggets typically wear one of the more simplistic jersey designs in the league, but older fans of the franchise will remember the days of Alex English and the 1980s Denver teams that wore a rainbow across their chests with the city’s skyline in the forefront.
The team has brought back the design periodically in recent seasons with a modified “City” edition uniform, and we’re all here for it.
The team’s first appearance in these happy-go-lucky threads happened Monday night in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.
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In a time when the rainbow is associated with LGBTQ Pride more than ever, the Denver Nuggets have bombastically resurrected (an updated version of) one of the gayest sports logos and jerseys of all time.
I’m sure the Nuggets didn’t originally intend for these uniforms to be so gay-friendly four decades ago, but the rainbow takes on renewed importance and symbolism in contemporary pop culture. Since the Pride flag’s rainbow design inception by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the colors have become thoroughly ingrained in the gay community.
The Nuggets are representing Pride every time they put these on, even if they aren’t trying. Although, the franchise is quite Pride-friendly, as they will be one of at least 21 NBA teams to host a Pride Night for the LGBTQ community on December 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Denver currently stands second in the Western Conference with a 10-3 record and is expected to have a top seed in the NBA Playoffs next spring. Hopefully, the team will wear these jerseys on December 1 and throughout the season, and eventually the Playoffs, when more eyes than ever will be on the games.
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