As the NBA and the United States continue to fight the COVID-19 virus, the NBA protecting players and personnel and the United States protecting the public at large, the Denver Nuggets took a major step forward in the return to normalcy.

According to a Nuggets press release, the Nuggets will begin hosting fans in Ball Arena for home games beginning on April 2nd. Capacity laws set forth by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment have helped the Nuggets to set forth new guidelines for the number of fans in the stands. According to the press release, 4,050 fans will be allowed into Ball Arena for Nuggets home games, roughly 22% of venue capacity.

In the statement, Stan Kroenke, Chairman and CEO of KSE, shared the following:

“We are thrilled to welcome Avalanche and Nuggets fans to the newly named Ball Arena for the first time. We are grateful to local, state and national health authorities who collaborated with us to get to this point. We also would like to thank our partners at the NHL and NBA, who have worked tirelessly to ensure a safe return for our fans. This is a major first step in our quest to have a fully packed arena again with some of the greatest fans in sports.”

The Nuggets will play 13 home games between April 2nd and the end of the regular season. Here’s the list of games that fans could potentially attend:

  • April 4th — Orlando Magic
  • April 6th — Detroit Pistons
  • April 7th — San Antonio Spurs
  • April 9th — San Antonio Spurs
  • April 11th — Boston Celtics
  • April 14th — Miami Heat
  • April 19th — Memphis Grizzlies
  • April 24th — Houston Rockets
  • April 26th — Memphis Grizzlies
  • April 28th — New Orleans Pelicans
  • April 29th — Toronto Raptors
  • May 5th — New York Knicks
  • May 8th — Brooklyn Nets

This is an exciting moment for Nuggets fans. Just over a year ago on March 9th, 2020 was the last time Nuggets fans were allowed to enter the newly named Ball Arena to watch the Nuggets play against the Milwaukee Bucks. On March 11th, the NBA shut down due to the impending spread of COVID-19 to ensure the safety of players, NBA personnel, connected workers, and the public at large. The NBA was the first to close, and now, they will be one of the last to open their doors. The state of Colorado has been vigilant on rules that arenas and large venues may follow, but now, as the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed across the state, Colorado is in a better place to host indoor events than they have been in quite some time.

Initially, the 4,050 fans allowed into arenas will largely be made up of season ticket holders and partners, according to the release. A very small number of seats will be made available to the general public. This is a byproduct of the business but also a reward to those dedicated season ticket holders that lost out on many opportunities to see the Nuggets in action, especially in The Bubble.

Slowly, the world appears to be returning to some normalcy. Things won’t be fully back to normal until mask mandates are removed with the vaccine fully in circulation, but it’s at least good to see the progress being made here. Nuggets fans can rejoice for what’s to come at some point: a fully packed arena of screaming fans cheering for the Nuggets once again.

You can check out the Denver Nuggets press release here for all information about fans returning to the stands.