Denver Nuggets 1967 The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. The team was founded in 1967 as Denver Rockets. In 1974, in anticipation of moving into the NBA, the franchise held a contest to choose a new team nickname, as Rockets was already in use by the Houston Rockets. The name Nuggets won, having been the nickname first used by the Denver 1949-50 NBA franchise. Northwest