LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets were back on the UC San Diego campus for the third year in a row to kick off the team's training camp for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season. The Nuggets spent a week at LionTree Arena preparing for the upcoming season in a tradition that began ahead of the 2021-22 season.
"Well it worked well last year," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "We're hoping the air, water, beach whatever it may be continues to be a real positive for our group."Â
Following Denver's tremendous run this summer that culminated in the franchise's first NBA championship, Malone and his staff knew that they'd be back in a familiar spot as they prepared to defend their crown.
"For me you just have to look around this gym and you have five full courts which is more than we have in Denver at the moment," Malone explained. "Just to come out here and have all the space with 21 players in camp, and it doesn't hurt that we're staying at a beautiful hotel in a beautiful area of the country."
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Having the opportunity to see the defending champions up close, both the Tritons men's and women's basketball programs were excited to have a front row seat to learn from the NBA's best.Â
"That experience of being able to see what NBA players do in the training camp and how they prepare themselves I think there's so much value in that," UC San Diego head men's basketball coach
Eric Olen said. "We're really fortunate to have the type of facility and environment that they want to be in."Â
"Having the Denver Nuggets do their training camp in LionTree is a win-win," UC San Diego head women's basketball coach
Heidi VanDerveer said. "Obviously having the world champs, they want a first class facility with five full courts and 10 baskets to provide a tremendous environment for them to want to come back again. To have the Denver Nuggets practicing in LionTree is great for our community, great for our campus community and we hope to have them back again next year."Â
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NBA champions have frequently trained and taught inside LionTree Arena (formerly RIMAC Arena) since the building opened in 1995. In 2009, LeBron James held his first King's Academy summer camp at RIMAC. More than 500 youngsters from 23 states and nine countries descended upon UC San Diego to receive instruction from James and his staff. Five years later, former Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul hosted more than 300 campers at the Chris Paul Basketball Camp at the facility.
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The original Dream Team got its start at UC San Diego. The 1992 Olympics Team USA men's basketball squad trained at Main Gym before heading off to win gold in Barcelona, Spain.Â
The Nuggets will begin their quest to repeat at home on Tuesday, Oct. 24 when they host the Los Angeles Lakers.Â
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
