Nuggets to Retire Lafayette 'Fat' Lever's No. 12 Jersey

The Denver Nuggets will honor Lafayette "Fat" Lever when they retire his No. 12 jersey during a Dec. 2 game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepsi Center.       

The team announced the ceremony honoring Lever on Tuesday, per USA Today's Sam Amick:

Lever played 11 NBA seasons from 1982-94, sitting out the 1992-93 campaign with a knee injury, and played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. 

The Trail Blazers drafted Lever 11th overall in 1982, and they dealt him to the Nuggets prior to the 1984-85 season. In six years with Denver, he made the Western Conference All-Star team twice and was named to the All-NBA second team in 1986-87 and the All-Defensive second team in 1987-88. 

As a member of the Nuggets, Lever averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. Denver made the playoffs every year he was on the team, including the Western Conference Finals in 1985. 

Lever will become the sixth former Nuggets player to have his jersey retired after Alex English, David Thompson, Byron Beck, Dan Issel and Dikembe Mutombo. Former head coach Doug Moe also had the number 432 retired to signify his career win total with the franchise.