league sports teams until the AFL's Denver Broncos began play in 1960. Arena The Nuggets played on the stage of the Denver Auditorium Arena. Legacy When the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) joined the NBA, a contest was held in 1974 to give the team a new nickname since the NBA already had the Houston Rockets. The Nuggets' name was selected as the moniker of the new team. In 1985, Vince Boryla joined the franchise as its president and general manager, and was awarded NBA Executive of the Year that same year. He was president and general manager of the Nuggets from 1985 to 1988. The current Denver Nuggets also started out in the same venue as the original Nuggets, the Denver Auditorium Arena, playing there from 1967 to 1975. Awards and honors AAU National Tournament champions: 1937, 1939, 1942 Team record References External links Original Denver Nuggets NBA Statistics Denver Nuggets history NBA Hoops Online Defunct National Basketball Association teams Basketball teams in Colorado Sports teams in Denver Basketball teams established in 1948 Basketball teams disestablished in 1950 1948 establishments in Colorado 1950 disestablishments in Colorado