PORTLAND, Ore. — Among the hundreds of thousands of Coloradans in the crowd for Denver’s first NBA championship parade in 2023, at least one was a future Nugget.
KJ Simpson allowed himself to daydream about his future as he watched the floats pass by. One was occupied by an acquaintance. He and Peyton Watson were born a month apart in 2001. They played high school hoops against each other in Southern California. Simpson knew Watson, knew his family. Now he was looking up at them from the sidewalk while they partied on a bus. Simpson, a college athlete on summer break from CU Boulder, beamed with pride. Recognizing one of his peers somehow made it feel more attainable.
“That was the closest I had been to seeing or being there to experience a championship team, I guess,” Simpson said. “Seeing them just go by. The job is finished. That was mad inspiring to me. Like, man, I want to feel that one day.”
Almost three years later, Simpson is back in Colorado, where he’s beloved for his three-year CU career and March Madness heroics in 2024. The former Buffs guard signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets on Thursday, filling a spot that opened up when Spencer Jones was converted to a standard NBA deal. He debuted the next day with four assists and a bucket in garbage time of a win at Portland.
“I’m just excited to play in front of that fan base,” Simpson told The Denver Post. “It’s bigger than just CU Boulder. Colorado in general. … I was there for three years. First place I lived other than home. So to me, that was considered like home. I loved my time there. I loved everything about it. The people. And we would go to Denver a lot just to go see games. … So I’ve always felt that connection to Colorado. It’s just crazy how full-circle it is.”
That full-circle opportunity arrived two weeks after Simpson was a surprise trade deadline casualty in Charlotte. Once drafted 42nd overall by the Hornets, he was waived from a two-way contract on Feb. 6. It caught him off-guard.
“Just from the way I was getting messages and things like that, I don’t think it was expected from a lot of people,” he said. “And so that obviously was a tough pill to swallow. Because this was my first time I’ve really experienced this. So I just didn’t know what was next. But I have a great support system.”
He packed as many bags as he could carry, flew home to Southern California and waited. He received reassurance from his agent, his girlfriend, his parents, his former Hornets teammates who reached out. He trained. He spent time with his family. He waited more.
“It felt longer than the amount of time it was,” he said. “Like, for me, it felt a lot longer. I was just trying to stay confident and stay ready mentally, emotionally, spiritually.” It helped that he heard multiple teams were interested in him.
The Nuggets were one of them, and by sheer serendipity, they were in the same place as Simpson. He was able to immediately join the team on a three-game road trip that started in Los Angeles after signing. Soon, he’ll be assigned to the Grand Rapids Gold to get more playing time and learn the Nuggets’ system. “Wherever I’m asked to be,” he said, “I’m excited for that.”
But in the meantime, he was happy to be along for the ride in Portland, where he continued to work on building relationships with players and coaches whom he once watched demolish beers in a parade.
“When I went back home, I planned on not being in Charlotte for a minute, just so that wherever I was, I’d be dedicated to that’s where I was gonna be,” Simpson said. “So I have like five bags on this trip with me right now.”
Colorado guard KJ Simpson (2) shoots over Florida guard Zyon Pullin (0) at the end of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. Colorado won 102-100. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Still remembered for March heroics
Simpson’s excursions from Boulder to Denver were almost always to watch the Nuggets or the Avalanche. (One of his teammates, Luke O’Brien, was an especially big Avs fan.) He has an old Snapchat post from Ball Arena saved to his phone. “I’m gonna play here one day,” he had posted.
“I didn’t know I meant I was gonna be a Denver Nugget, you know?” he said, laughing. “I just meant in the NBA.”
He was between his sophomore and junior years when he attended the parade. The next year turned out to be life-changing. Already an all-conference selection, he elevated his game with 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, making First Team All-Pac-12 and leading the Buffaloes to the NCAA Tournament. Then he cemented his legacy with a Kawhi-esque baseline jumper and a Kawhi-esque bounce with 1.7 seconds remaining in a first-round classic. It gave CU a 102-100 win over Florida.
And it took on a life of its own that Simpson didn’t anticipate as he entered the pros.
“I get tagged in it (on social media) a lot. Anytime I do something good, they always draw back to, ‘Oh yeah, that’s KJ. He hit this shot.’ It’s crazy how one moment can stick with you,” he reflected. “Obviously, it was a big shot, but to me in the moment, I don’t know. I just didn’t realize the significance of how big a shot that was. You dream of it, obviously, March Madness. … But (in the moment) it just was like, ‘Phew, all right, we get to keep playing.’ … When I signed to the Nuggets the other day, all I saw was that video playing over and over. And it’s special. I appreciate it.”
The calls and texts came flooding in when Denver’s plan to sign him was reported. Simpson heard from his former strength coach at CU. He heard from his old teammates who are still in Boulder. His parents even received calls from parents of other former Buffs. He was still playing catch-up as he clocked in for work on Friday in Portland.
Mostly, he sees the fresh start as validation after the disappointment of being released by his original team.
“This is my first time experiencing it. Everybody who has tells me it’s part of the journey, things like that,” he said. “But it definitely makes you just appreciate the opportunity even more. … I think it just adds so much more, like, we say ‘chip on your shoulder.’ I don’t even know how much more my shoulder can hold. That’s how I feel. I have so much ammunition. Fuel. Now I’m just ready to let it out.”
First, Simpson has to get settled. While he’s on the road with the Nuggets this weekend, he might feel at home, but he’s also technically homeless. He has no idea where his apartment will be in Denver when the team returns. Not to mention Grand Rapids.
“We’re gonna figure out the living situation when it happens,” he said. “If not, I’ll go crash with somebody at CU Boulder.”
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