During Marcus Camby’s six seasons with the Nugget he was named All-time All-NBA Defensive First Team twice.
Making an All-NBA Defensive First Team is an incredible individual accomplishment, especially when considering that only five players are awarded with that honor each year. This list puts a spotlight on the Nuggets who have earned First Team selections throughout Denver’s 58 seasons.
Marcus Camby – Two times (2007-2008)
Camby established himself as one of the most feared rim-protectors of his era by leading the NBA with a career-best 3.7 blocks per game during his sophomore campaign in 1997-98. The second overall pick in the 1996 draft by the Toronto Raptors spent his first two seasons north of the border, then played his next four years with the New York Knicks before being traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2002. Camby’s debut in the Mile High City was shortened to just 29 games due to injury, but he was a dominant defensive presence there from 2004 to 2008. Over those five years, he averaged 10.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.2 blocks across 343 regular-season appearances.
‘The Camby Man’ swatted at least 2.6 shots a night in each of those campaigns, and tallied 3.0-plus bpg from ‘05 to ‘08. He led the NBA in blocks for three consecutive years (2006-08), earning his lone Defensive Player of the Year award and his first-ever All-Defensive First Team selection after posting 11.2 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.2 spg and 3.3 bpg in ’06-’07. A year later, in Camby’s final season as a Nugget, he averaged 9.1 ppg, a career-best 13.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.1 spg and 3.6 bpg across 79 outings. He recorded 30 double-doubles and two triple-doubles while blocking at least one shot in all but three contests. Camby had 27 games with five or more blocks, and set a personal best with 11 swats, helping him make a second straight All-Defensive First Team while finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year vote.
Bobby Jones – Two times (1977-1978)
Jones spent his first four seasons as a pro in Denver, with the 1974-75 and 1975-76 campaigns being played in the ABA. He moved with the Nuggets to the NBA over the next two years and averaged a career-high 15.1 points and 2.3 steals with 8.3 boards, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in 1976-77. The following year, Jones followed that up with 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg and 1.7 bpg while leading the league in field goal percentage (57.8). ‘The Secretary of Defense’ earned back-to-back All-Star and First Team All-Defensive selections for his efforts. This marked the beginning of eight consecutive seasons in which Jones made the top All-Defensive squad, with the final six awards coming during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, and culminating in a Hall of Fame induction in 2019.
