At one point in time, the Nuggets felt like a breath of fresh air in the modern NBA landscape. They had a culture that felt more grassroots; they avoided the super team, large market, vacuum that dominated the NBA in the 2010s.
After securing a title in 2023, the sky was the limit for Denver and their culture was a big reason for their success. But nothing can remain pure forever.
The basketball world started to see cracks in the Nuggets’ culture after their brutal Game 7 loss in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. And the firing of both their head coach and general manager in 2025 felt like confirmation that the team’s identity had completely collapsed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, after being bounced from the playoffs in the first-round by the Timberwolves, fans are wondering if this culture can be rebuilt?
On Monday’s edition of “The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay,” the hosts looked at one comment from the Nuggets end-of-season press conference that may present a bigger picture problem for the team. Josh Kroenke called himself the “chief culture officer” for the Nuggets. That has Bye confused.
“How can you be the cultural leader if you are not around?” the host questioned, referring to the fact that Kroenke is largely an absentee owner, spending time elsewhere to deal with his family’s far-flung business empire.
In a press conference that left many questioning the direction — or lack of direction — of the Nuggets, Kroenke calling himself a “cultural leader” may have marked a new low for the organization. The playoffs exposed real issues with locker‑room leadership; Kroenke’s comments only added more pressure to a group already struggling to define who they are.
If there are no true leaders inside that locker room, and no one consistently upholding the standard of what Nuggets culture is supposed to be, then the uncomfortable question becomes unavoidable: Are the right guys even in that room? Is there even a culture to uphold when the one establishing it is never around the team?
Kroenke called a team’s culture “a living breathing organism,” and Bye echoed his biggest frustration.
“Someone cannot manage that who is not around!” he argued. “Josh himself says it needs ‘daily maintenance.’”
As the Nuggets continue to navigate a pivotal offseason, more issues need to be addressed. Can the Nuggets establish a culture, and can someone step up as that leader? We know the talent is there, but a lack of intangibles could be the difference between securing another title for Jokic or wasting an all-time player’s prime.
ADVERTISEMENT