20/20 Retrospective – The 20 greatest Colorado pro athletes in the 2000s
Feb 4, 2020, 7:08 AM | Updated: 3:03 pm
Since the start of the new millennium, sports fans in Colorado have seen their team at both ends of the spectrum. At one point, they’ve witnessed their beloved franchises be at the bottom of the barrel, cellar dwellers in their league. But they’ve also enjoyed the ultimate highs, watching a Stanley Cup and a Lombardi Trophy be paraded through downtown Denver.
During that time, a ton of different names and faces have rolled through town, donning the colors of the Avalanche, Broncos, Nuggets and Rockies. Some have been among the biggest names to ever play in the league. Some are now enshrined in the game’s respective Hall of Fame.
In honor of the past 20 years of baseball, basketball, football and hockey in the Mile High City, it’s time to take a look back on some of the best to ever grace the court and ice at Pepsi Center, gridiron at Mile High Stadium and Empower Field, and the diamond at Coors Field. Here are the 20 best pro athletes of the 2000s:
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20. Alex Tanguay | Avalanche
Without Tanguay’s contributions during Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, the Avalanche perhaps do not earn a second championship in team history. In just his second season, Tanguay became a major contributor during the postseason, recording 21 points, including two goals against the New Jersey Devils to seal an Avs Stanley Cup victory. During his two stints with Colorado, Tanguay played in the fourth-most games (598) of any player since 2000 while recording the third-most points (488), third-most assists (321) and sixth-most goals (167) during that time. He also led all skaters with a 130 plus-minus.
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19. Al Wilson | Broncos
One of the most under-appreciated players in Broncos history, including by the team he played for during eight productive seasons. During his career, Wilson started 119 games at middle linebacker, becoming the centerpiece of some very good defenses. He earned five Pro Bowl invites, the most of any Broncos player not in the team’s Ring of Fame, and was first-team All-Pro during Denver’s stellar 2005 season. He had 723 tackles, 21.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles and five interceptions during his career.
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18. Gabriel Landeskog | Avalanche
The second-longest tenured Avs player, Landeskog became (at the time) the youngest captain in NHL history in 2012 at 19 years and 286 days old, besting Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins by 11 days. Before that, however, Landeskog earned NHL All-Rookie Team honors in 2011-12, along with the Calder Memorial Trophy for the league’s top rookie. Since 2000, Landeskog ranks fourth among all Avs skaters in time on ice (11,785), third in games played (612), third in goals (190) and sixth in points (437).
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17. Trevor Story | Rockies
Stepping into the nearly impossible role of replacing shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Trevor Story has done so to the tune of back-to-back All-Star Game appearances and Silver Slugger awards in the past two seasons. Story earned votes for MVP during the past two seasons as well to go along with a fourth-place finish for N.L. Rookie of the Year in 2016. The homegrown prospect also became the fastest shortstop to reach 100 career home runs, doing so in 448 games to surpass Alex Rodriquez.
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16. Chauncey Billups | Nuggets
Billups proved that you can go home again. Eight years after an unsuccessful stint with his hometown team, the point guard returned in 2008 to help the Nuggets reach their greatest heights. Providing a championship mentality, Billups guided Denver to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and a 53-win campaign the following season. He earned an All-Star invite during both of his full seasons back in Denver.
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15. Chris Harris Jr. | Broncos
Everyone loves his story, as Harris made the team in 2011 as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas. But he didn’t just earn a spot on the roster; he became an impact player for nearly a decade, including a pair of Super Bowl teams. During that time, Harris hauled in 20 interceptions, the 11th-most in franchise history, earned four Pro Bowl nominations and was selected first-team All-Pro in 2016. An integral part of Denver’s “No Fly Zone,” he helped bring a Super Bowl title to Denver.
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14. Todd Helton | Rockies
The only Rockies player with his number retired, Todd Helton has earned his spot on the Mount Rushmore of Colorado baseball. While the early 2000s weren’t kind to the Rockies on the whole, Helton had a stretch from 2000 to 2004 in which he turned out perennial MVP-caliber numbers. Earning five consecutive All-Star Game nods during that stretch, Helton tallied an average of 39 home runs, 127 RBI and 204 hits to go with his .349 batting average and 1.093 OPS. Helton also posted three of the top five single-season WAR marks (8.9 in 2000, 8.3 in 2004 and 7.8 in 2001) in club history.
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13. Nikola Jokic | Nuggets
When it’s all said and done, the Joker may go down as the greatest player in the history of the franchise. He certainly has the talent, as his unique skillset make him a big-time scorer and rebounder, while also being one of the best passing centers in NBA history. Last season, he earned first-team All-NBA honors, the first Nuggets player in more than four decades to reach that pinnacle.
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12. Demaryius Thomas | Broncos
For whatever reason, Thomas was always drawing the ire of fans; the occasional dropped pass got blown out of proportion, causing some to not notice the 665 receptions, 9,055 yards and 60 touchdowns he hauled in during his career with the Broncos. Those numbers are good for second, third and second all-time in Broncos history, respectively. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a player who always came up big in the playoffs, something that helped Denver reach a pair of Super Bowls.
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11. Peter Forsberg | Avalanche
The early 2000s saw the only two Hart Trophy (MVP) wins in Avalanche history — Joe Sakic in 2000-01 and Forsberg in 2002-03. That season, Foppa lead the NHL in assists (77), points (106) and plus-minus (52), earning him the aforementioned Hart Trophy along with the Art Ross Trophy for points leader and a First-Team All-Star roster slot. The following year was Forsberg’s last full season in Colorado, though he would make returns in 2007-08 and 2010-11, totaling just 11 games played.
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10. Troy Tulowitzki | Rockies
What a career Troy Tulowitzki could have had without facing injury problems year after year. Tulo burst onto the MLB scene in 2007, helping guide the Rockies to its first World Series berth while earning a second-place finish in rookie of the year voting. However, the prolific shortstop missed more than 60 games the following season during one of what would become several injury-plagued years. Tulowitzki represented the Rockies in the All-Star Game five times, finished in the top five of MVP voting twice, and earned a pair of Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2010 and 2011. But for all of his accolades, Tulowitzki leads the franchise in just one category, single-season assists (561, 2007) but does rank second in WAA per season, just behind the franchise’s top player of the past two decades.
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9. Nathan MacKinnon | Avalanche
Perhaps the most dynamic skater in hockey today, MacKinnon has dominated the NHL since entering the league in 2013. After going first overall in the 2013 NHL draft to Colorado, MacKinnon earned rookie of the year (Calder Trophy) honors the following season, scoring 63 points in 82 games. Each of the past four seasons, MacKinnon has been named to the Western Conference All-Star roster while finishing in the top six of MVP voting during the past two seasons.
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8. Carmelo Anthony | Nuggets
Some fans will never forgive Melo for the way it ended in Denver, but his seven full seasons in a Nuggets uniform were special. The team made the playoffs every year, reached the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and became a mainstay on national television. Melo helped put the Nuggets back on the map, averaging 24.8 points, earning four All-Star nods and producing one memorable moment after another.
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7. Champ Bailey | Broncos
Given that the Broncos gave up Clinton Portis to acquire the Pro Bowl cornerback, Bailey had a lot to live up to once he arrived in town; Portis was going to be Denver’s “next Terrell Davis.” Ten years later, no one was regretting the trade. As a Bronco, Bailey had 34 interceptions, the fourth-most in franchise history. He was also selected to eight Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-NFL honors at the end of three different seasons. These numbers led him to the Hall of Fame in 2019.
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6. Nolan Arenado | Rockies
If you have your own hashtag trending nightly, you deserve a high slot on this list — which future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado does. Over the past seven seasons, Arenado has collected seven straight Gold Glove awards. In the past five seasons, he’s finished in the top 10 in MVP voting and attended five consecutive All-Star Games. And don’t forget his four Silver Slugger awards from 2015 to 2018. Arenado’s led the National League in RBI twice (2015 and 2016) and home runs three times (2015-16, 2018). Oh, and Arenado helped lead the United States national team to a 2017 World Baseball Classic gold medal.
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Top 20 Avalanche players of the 2000s
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5. Milan Hejduk | Avalanche
“The Duke” spent his entire 14-year NHL career with Colorado, retiring in 2013 as the final remaining member of the 2001 Stanley Cup-winning team and with the most career games played with the Avalanche (1,020). Since 2000, Hejduk owns the lead in most individual team statistical categories, including games played (938), goals (361), points (757), time on ice (17,668 minutes) and point shares (90.6). In 2018, Hejduk had his No. 23 retired by the Avalanche, joining Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote and ray Bourque.
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4. Joe Sakic | Avalanche
Much like his teammate at No. 2 on this list, Sakic spent his entire career with the Avalanche organization — including seven seasons with the Quebec Nordiques before the team relocated to Denver. The all-time leader in most statistical categories for the Avs, Sakic earned one of two Hart Memorial Trophies in team history in 2000-01 — Peter Forsberg did it in 2002-03 as well — the same season Colorado earned it’s second Stanley Cup championship. That same season, Sakic also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award and was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team. He’d receive first-team honors twice more (2002, 2004) and was the 2004 NHL All-Star Game MVP.
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3. Larry Walker | Rockies
By the time the new millennium rolled around, Larry Walker’s best days had passed the Hall of Fame-worthy outfielder. But, if the late 1990s were the prime of his career, Walker certainly followed them up with remarkable seasons to finish his Rockies career. Since 2000, no Colorado player has posted a higher average WAA mark (4.45) than Walker. Between 2000 and 2004, when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, Walker posted an OPS of 1.008, an average of .321, 95 home runs and a WAR of 21.7. Among the annals of Rockies history, Walker ranks tops in average (.334), on-base percentage (.426), slugging percentage (.618) and OPS (1.044).
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2. Von Miller | Broncos
With 106 career sacks, Miller is already atop that statistical category in Broncos history, with plenty of time to pad his lead. During his nine seasons in Denver, he’s eclipsed double-digits in sacks seven times, including 18.5 in 2012. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time first-team All-NFL choice and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl 50, when he terrorized Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to lead the Broncos to a championship.
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1. Peyton Manning | Broncos
Manning did things in a Broncos uniform that no other quarterback in franchise history has ever approached, including John Elway. In 2013, he posted a season for the ages, throwing for a league-leading 5,477 yards and an NFL single-season record 55 touchdowns. But he wasn’t just numbers; Manning also won a lot of games. During his tenure in Denver, the Broncos posted a 45-12 regular-season record, were the AFC’s No. 1 seed three times, advanced to two Super Bowls and won a title.
