Former Nuggets executive Carl Scheer was both a visionary and a “character”

B.J. “Red” McCombs hikes up his pants at a press conference announcing him as the new owner of the Denver Nuggets in this Feb. 1983 file photo. At left is the GM and president at the time Carl Scheer. Former Nuggets executive Carl Scheer wasn’t above fudging attendance numbers and he certainly wasn’t afraid to think outside the box.

Whatever it took to drum up interest in the Nuggets, Scheer would consider it.

As the architect of the Slam Dunk Contest, an idea spawned during the 1976 All-Star Game in Denver, and the man who ushered the Nuggets into the NBA from the ABA, Scheer left an indelible mark on basketball’s history, particularly in this city. From 1974-84, he oversaw the team and was…