Who Was the NBA Champion Last Season and How Did They Achieve Victory?

2025-11-17 11:00

I still remember the final buzzer sounding in Denver last June, the confetti raining down as Nikola Jokić embraced his teammates. Having followed the NBA for over fifteen years, I’ve witnessed numerous championship runs, but there was something uniquely compelling about the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 title victory. The question on everyone’s mind was: Who was the NBA champion last season and how did they achieve victory? The answer lies in a perfect storm of homegrown talent, tactical genius, and a superstar who redefined what an offensive centerpiece could be.

The journey wasn’t a sudden explosion but a slow, deliberate build. For years, the Nuggets were a talented regular-season team that couldn't quite get over the hump in the playoffs. They drafted Jokić in the second round, a pick that seemed inconsequential at the time but would become the foundation of everything. They patiently developed Jamal Murray through his early struggles, and they built a system entirely around Jokić's otherworldly passing and basketball IQ. While superteams formed elsewhere, Denver stuck to their plan, even when Murray suffered a devastating ACL injury in 2021 that sidelined him for a season and a half. Many, including myself, wondered if their championship window had closed before it ever truly opened. That period of adversity, however, forged a resilience that would become their greatest asset.

When the 2023 playoffs began, the narrative was still against them. They were a "soft" regular season team from a small market. But then they started playing, and the basketball world took notice. Their path to the title was a masterclass in dominance. They dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, then faced the Phoenix Suns, where Devin Booker was playing out of his mind. After splitting the first four games, the Nuggets' defense clamped down, winning the next two by an average of 18 points. The Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers was supposed to be their toughest test, but they swept LeBron James and company, a statement that reverberated across the league. The Finals against the Miami Heat followed a similar script: drop a game on the road, then systematically dismantle the opponent's strategy. Jokić averaged a staggering 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists for the entire playoffs, numbers we simply haven't seen from a center before.

What truly set them apart, in my view, was their offensive ecosystem. Coach Michael Malone installed an offense that was less about set plays and more about reads and reactions, all flowing through Jokić at the high post. It was beautiful, almost artistic basketball. Murray, finally healthy, was a flamethrower in the clutch, averaging 26.1 points in the playoffs. The supporting cast, from Aaron Gordon's ferocious cutting and defense to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's timely three-point shooting, knew their roles perfectly. They played with a connectivity that felt more like a five-year veteran unit than a team in its first Finals together. I recall watching Game 5 against the Suns, where Murray and Jokić became the first teammates in NBA history to each record a 30-point triple-double in the same playoff game. It was in that moment I thought, "This is a team making history, not just winning games."

The emotional peak came after they sealed the championship in Game 5 against Miami. Amid the celebration, a triumphant Jamal Murray, who had endured so much during his rehab, captured the team's sentiment perfectly. He said, "Here we are, finally with two championships. What a journey it has been and I’ve never been hungrier to go for more." That quote, for me, encapsulates everything. It acknowledges the struggle, celebrates the present achievement, but also looks forward with an insatiable hunger. It wasn't just about reaching the summit; it was about believing they could stay there. This wasn't a fluke or a Cinderella story; it was the culmination of a process, and the declaration of a new force in the league.

Looking back, the story of who was the NBA champion last season and how did they achieve victory is a blueprint for sustainable team building in the modern era. They didn't need to recruit a superteam; they drafted brilliantly, developed patiently, and built a system that maximized their unique talents. As a fan of the game, it was refreshing to see a team win it their way. It proves that in an era of player movement and quick fixes, there's still immense value in continuity, culture, and belief in a core. The Denver Nuggets didn't just win a title; they gave us a new model for success, and frankly, I can't wait to see if they can do it again. That hunger Murray spoke of? I believe it's real.