Report: Calvin Booth, Michael Malone had icy relationship, rarely spoke

The Denver Nuggets pulled an NBA stunner on Tuesday, firing both general manager Calvin Booth and coach Michael Malone just days before the playoffs and the team fighting for positioning.

And given their reportedly tepid relationship, it’s interesting that Booth and Malone went out together.

Per Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, Booth and Malone “never liked each other, rarely spoke, and talked behind each other’s backs.”

The news has sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, in a season full of stunners. The Nuggets (47-32) sit in fourth place in the Western Conference standings — a race that is incredibly tight with just more than a week to go in the regular season.

Assistant David Adelman will replace Malone on an interim basis, per reports. At this writing, it’s not been reported who will serve as acting GM.

The Nuggets enter Tuesday with a half-game lead over 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,” wrote ESPN’s Shams Charania.

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.

Booth began his front office career with the New Orleans Pelicans as a scout during the 2012-13 season. After one year with the Pelicans, he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he eventually rose to the position of director of player personnel.

On August 16, 2017, Booth was appointed assistant general manager of the Nuggets. Three years later, on July 7, 2020, he was named the team’s GM. Booth shaped a roster that won the first NBA championship in franchise history in 2023, a five-game victory over the Miami Heat in the Finals.

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.