A collection of Denver Nuggets sports memorabilia and what it all represents

For many die-hard fans of sports teams, memorabilia can tell a story. A specific item can represent a special memory in a fandom that cements a passion for that team forever, as Zach Mikash recounts in his article about the time he received signatures during training camp from the Denver Nuggets team in 1994. Or, it can remind you of an exciting time in your childhood when you coveted a piece of merchandise and used a combination of persuasion with your parents and some of your own hard-earned money to receive the item. Memorabilia can also come in the form of a heartfelt gift given to you by a friend or family member, causing it to have a deeper meaning than what’s on the surface from that point forward.

Fortunately, I have items that do all of this and more. Here are the stories of what some of my most prized Denver Nuggets possessions represent to me.

Carmelo Anthony signed ball

This ball represents one of the first major purchases I made in my life, not necessarily in terms of money but in terms of value. I was in sixth grade and my family and I were at an auction being held by and for my school. I remember pacing the hallways and restlessly looking inside the classrooms at various items, none of them immediately catching my eye. Finally, my attention was drawn to an item that was displayed on a table in the art room. There it was, a signed Carmelo Anthony ball.

I must have only been a Nuggets fan for a year or two at the time, as this was in 2004 or 2005 and I'm pretty sure I started watching the Nuggets when Anthony was drafted in 2003. As soon as I saw this item, I wanted it right away. I knew it had to be a lot though, and when I saw the price was currently at $65 I think I probably lost a little hope. Now keep in mind, I was only 11 or 12, so $65 seemed like a lot and I definitely did not have that much money saved up from doing random chores throughout the house. However, my parents must have been able to see how much I wanted it and since it was for a good cause, they agreed to pay for half. Much to my surprise, I was able to walk away with the ball after having only spent around $30 of my own money.

It was my first signed item of any kind and the fact that it was signed by Anthony, the player that got me interested in professional basketball, made it incredibly special. Even though he broke my heart about six years later when he left the Nuggets for the bright lights of New York City, I'll never forget what he did for this franchise and how happy it made me to have a ball signed by him that I could showcase in my room.

As you can tell from the photo, either time has made its mark on this possession or I have not done the best job at taking care of it, as the signature is faded and smeared in some places. It's been sitting on a shelf to my headboard all these years and although I don't look at it much anymore, every time I do I can go back pretty easily to the way it felt taking it home and just staring at it for maybe hours later (most of that time was probably spent wondering how the signature could read Carmelo Anthony…I just didn't see it, and still don't). This is perhaps why even though I was disappointed in Melo's decision to leave Denver, I could never completely disregard his years with the Nuggets. He is the reason I'm a fan, after all.