Not all of the Nuggets had disappeared from Denver yet. A trio of them poked their heads into the Ball Arena lounge area above their practice gym, an area usually reserved for club-level ticket holders but at that moment occupied by team brass, reporters’ recorders and the man of the hour — a man they wanted to support with their presence.
Julian Strawther took a front-row seat, intermingling with reporters and David Adelman’s family. Jamal Murray and Jalen Pickett lingered in the back of the room, which was repurposed for Adelman’s formal introduction as the Nuggets’ 23rd head coach in franchise history.