DENVER, CO — Nuggets Nation near and far traveled to Downtown Denver on Thursday for the first-ever Nuggets Championship parade.
A few fans from Southern Colorado represented in a big way, whether it be dressing like their favorite player or singing the national anthem, they were happy to be a part of history.
“I’ve been singing of the Denver Nuggets for a couple years now," Fountain native, Kenneth Tate said. "They reached out to me and said 'we’d love for you to come to the parade' so it just came through."
As a musician constantly working to get his name out there, singing in front of nearly a million people was the perfect opportunity.
"This is the biggest crowd I’ve sung in front of, so it was just a fun experience," Tate said.
Retired Army Veteran, Alberto Portalatin spends his spare time rooting for the Nuggets, and his "Joker" costume is inspired by the NBA Finals MVP.
“What inspired me was how Nikola wasn’t getting enough credit from previous years, that’s the 2x MVP, I wanted to show support," Portalatin said. "I like how he’s a humble guy.”
Joker and company did something that has never been done before and gave the state of Colorado something to cheer for.
“Even though Denver has the teams, there’s people that come from Colorado Springs (like me) and from Pueblo, so there’s a lot of people from Colorado Springs who support the Nuggets," Portalatin explained.
Fans waited 47 years for this feat and said it was worth the wait.
"We finally got one," Fountain native, Jamarcus Mathis said. "I think sometimes when you have to wait for something, it makes it a little bit better.”
An estimated 700 thousand people attended the parade in the Mile High City, and it was a day Nuggets Nation will never forget.
