In another NBA stunner, the Denver Nuggets have fired coach Michael Malone with just more than a week remaining in the regular season, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
There has been no reason given for the dismissal.
“Days before the NBA playoffs, the Nuggets dismissed Malone in a meeting today,” Charania wrote. “Malone is the winningest coach in franchise history since being hired in 2015 — and led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship.”
Along with Malone, the Nuggets fired general manager Calvin Booth.
Assistant David Adelman will replace Malone on an interim basis, per reports.
The Nuggets (47-32) currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, just a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies. They are 1.5 games back of the third-place Los Angeles Lakers.
“While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now,” Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke said, via NBA insider Chris Haynes. “Championship-level standards and expectations remain in place for the current season, and as we look to the future, we look forward to building on the foundations laid by Coach Malone over his record-breaking 10-year career in Denver.”
How all of this will sit with NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and other top Denver players such as Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. … well, that’s anyone’s guess.
“This is tied for the latest coaching change in NBA history, per ESPN Research, matching Hubie Brown in 1980-81,” Charania wrote.
Two weeks ago, the Grizzlies fired then-coach Taylor Jenkins, also the winningest coach in franchise history. While that news broke the NBA internet, this may be even more stunning.
In the 2018-19 season, Malone guided Denver to a 54-28 record, securing the second seed in the Western Conference behind the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets returned to the playoffs for the first time in six years, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the first round in seven games before falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals, also in seven games.
On December 24, 2019, the Nuggets announced a contract extension for Malone. During the 2020 NBA playoffs in the Bubble, Malone led Denver to make history as the first team to overcome multiple 3-1 deficits in a single postseason, defeating the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Nuggets were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the eventual NBA champion Lakers in five games.
On March 23, 2022, Malone and the Nuggets agreed to a multi-year contract extension.
The 2022-23 season saw Malone’s team dominate the Western Conference, holding sole possession of the top seed from December 20 until the end of the regular season. This earned Malone his second All-Star Game coaching selection in five years.
The Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round before overtaking the Phoenix Suns in six games in the conference semifinals to reach their second Conference Finals in four years. In a rematch with the Lakers, the Nuggets swept the series, advancing to their first NBA Finals. It marked the first time in franchise history the Nuggets had swept an opponent in the postseason.
In the 2023 NBA Finals, the Nuggets faced the Miami Heat, who became the first eighth seed to reach the Finals since the 1998-99 New York Knicks. Despite struggling with shooting and turnovers in Game 5, the Nuggets rallied from a 10-point deficit to secure a 94-89 win and clinch the first championship in franchise history.
On November 24, 2024, Malone achieved a milestone, recording his 433rd win with the Nuggets in a 127-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, surpassing Doug Moe for the most wins in franchise history.
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