A Denver Nuggets legend! Former NBA Coach of the Year Doug Moe has passed away at 87 years old.

On February 18th Beijing time, the Denver Nuggets officially announced that former NBA head coach Doug Moe died today at age 87. Reporters Mike Monroe and Tom Osborne also reported that Moe had been fighting illness for some time.

Moe played in Italy and the ABA league from 1965 to 1972, but a knee injury forced him to retire early as a player. He then found greater success as a coach. In 1976, he became the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, leading the team for four years before starting a long coaching tenure with the Denver Nuggets from 1980 to 1990.

In 1992, Moe took over as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers but was dismissed midway through his first season. He later returned to Denver, serving as a coaching advisor from 2002 to 2005 and assistant coach from 2005 to 2008, before officially retiring.

Moe was known for his fast-paced, run-and-gun offensive style. As an NBA head coach, his regular season record stood at 628 wins and 529 losses (a 54.3% winning percentage), with a playoff record of 33 wins and 50 losses (39.8%).The 1981–82 Nuggets team he coached still holds multiple NBA records, including the highest average points per game in a single season (126.5). This Nuggets squad is also the only team in NBA history to score over 100 points in all 82 regular season games.

Moe ranks 26th in NBA history for total coaching wins, behind only Phil Sanders and Chuck Daly.In 1988, he led the Nuggets to a 54-28 record, improving by 17 wins over the previous season, and was named NBA Coach of the Year as a result..

The Nuggets stated in their announcement:

“Coach Moe was a unique leader and individual who guided the Nuggets through one of the most successful and exciting decades in franchise history. Nuggets fans will forever cherish and remember him. The banner honoring his 432 wins as head coach will hang in the arena as a lasting tribute to his extraordinary legacy. The team extends condolences to Moe’s wife Jane, son David, and all family and friends mourning this loss.”