Denver and the improbable, inevitable Jokić are an NBA dynasty in-waiting

The Nuggets have their first championship in their 47-year history. With a young core and the world's best player more titles beckon

Before Denver had the Nuggets, there were the Larks - the original name given to the city's local basketball franchise on its foundation in 1967. The lark is Colorado's state bird, so the original name made a certain sense, but a small, unimposing passerine that rarely leaves the ground always seemed like a difficult sell as the avatar of a team playing a sport in which height and flight are two of the key ingredients for success. Eventually, the Larks became the Denver Rockets, and the team's final name change - to the Nuggets - came in 1974.

Height always loomed as the Nuggets' decisive advantage in this finals series - height, and their possession of the world's best basket player - but on Monday night, as Denver sealed their inaugural championship with a squeaky Game 5 victory over Miami, the team played in a manner that seemed to pay tribute to the franchise's original mascot: rooted to the ground, at one with the floor.