We Love the (Nuggets) 80s: Calvin Natt

If there was one player that embodied the word “tough,” it was Calvin Natt. Backing down from taller players was never an option for the 6-foot-6 Natt, and he enjoyed great success against some of the NBA’s elite talent in the post.

There is a story he likes to tell. It is of the day in 1984 when he learned he was being traded to the Nuggets from Portland, where he’d spent the first five-and-a-half seasons of his career. Natt recounted how he found out about the deal to a Portland newspaper, the Oregonian.

“It was June and I was in bed and the phone kept ringing and ringing, but it was like 6 a.m.,” Natt said. “Finally, I thought there might be something wrong with my mom or dad, so I…