After a successful college career at Georgetown University, Center Dikembe Mutombo was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 4th pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. The big man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo had an immediate impact on his team and the league. He was named to his first of eight All-Star Games and was a member of the All-Rookie first team at the season's end. Overall, he averaged 16.6 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game and 3.0 blocks per game in his rookie campaign.

The Denver based side were founded in 1967 as the Rockets. When the American Basketball Association merged with the NBA in '76, Rockets was already in use by Houston a contest was held and "Nuggets" was chosen in honour of the original Denver basketball team in the 40's.