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Thursday's Nuggets report

Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 5, 2007 at midnight

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Beats spinning class

For the first time since the early ’80s, Stacey Augmon was not a part of organized basketball last season. It was tough to fill the void while living the quiet life in Chino Hills, Calif.

"Me and the wife, we’d go to the spin class, we’d go jogging. It was a good bonding time for me and my wife, but I just missed the game a lot," Augmon said Thursday. "It’s good to be back."

One day after signing a nonguaranteed veteran’s minimum contract with the Nuggets, Augmon went through his first workout at the Pepsi Center.

Coach George Karl wants him to bring a defensive presence to the court and indicated Augmon will receive strong considered for a roster spot. "I wouldn’t waste Stacey’s time if I didn’t think there was a chance of him making our team," Karl said.

Iverson lawsuit

Nuggets guard Allen Iverson responded Thursday to reports of a lawsuit filed against him and his management company.

"It’s just another obstacle in my life," Iverson said. "It’s something else that I have to endure. That’s a situation that I’m not even worried about because I know the truth."

An Omaha, Neb., promotions company is seeking about $44,000 in damages in its claim Iverson failed to appear at a youth rally and two clubs in August. Iverson’s management team, Crossover Promotions, told HYB Entertainment that Iverson could not attend as scheduled because of a family emergency.

"I alerted them that I wasn’t going to make it," Iverson said. "I guess they didn’t alert the people that was supposed to have been there. . . . Obviously they want some money."

Numbers game

24 years since Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien began recruiting Augmon to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Augmon was a sophomore at John Muir High School in Pasadena, Calif., when the Runnin’ Rebels started their pursuit. Augmon helped UNLV to a national championship in 1990.

He said it

"Our goal is to win the championship. If we make it to the second round and get eliminated, we’re not going to feel good about that ... I feel like this is my last chance, regardless of if I play the year after next, and the year after next, and the year after next. I have to approach every season like that."

Allen Iverson, who, at 32, is seeking his first NBA title in 12 seasons.

Etc.

• After two days of two-a-day practices, the Nuggets worked out once Thursday. The latter half of practice include a five-on-five scrimmage with junior-college officials. "It was probably the least mental practice (of the week)," Karl said. "Our bodies were saying, ‘We don’t want to be here.’ It usually comes a little earlier than that, so I think generally our mental energy has been very positive."

• Forward Kenyon Martin moved a step closer to playing five-on-five as he took part in transition drills. Martin is recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee.