In one of the most surprising moves of this 2024-25 season, the Nuggets have shocked the NBA world with the firing of head coach Michael Malone, only three games before the start of the playoffs. In the aftermath, both players and fans have been left stunned mostly due to the timing.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was one of the first on the scene, reporting on how the Denver squad reacted to the news. “Everyone was shocked by the timing of this,” he expressed this Tuesday night. “That included Michael Malone, Calvin Booth themselves.
“The players, I’m told, had a meeting where Josh Kroenke addressed them after the dismissal. He decided to flip the culture, didn’t want to wait. He wanted to inject some life into this team going into the playoffs…,” the NBA insider explained.
Shams then added: “Now that he’s fired after 10 years, it’s certainly stunning for the Nuggets, something this roster is now going to have to deal with and recover from.”
One of the biggest reason why this was unexpected, is the fact that the Colorado squad currently sit in the Western Conference’s fourth spot with a 47-32 record. However, they are just a half-game ahead of the eight-placed Memphis, which mean that the play-in tournament possibility is still lurking around.
Malone had been at the Nuggets’ helm for almost ten years, and led the franchise to their first-ever title in 2023. The former tactician currently hold the record for most wins in Denver history with 471 in total. “This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully,” said the vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.
“We do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere,” Josh Kroenke shared in a statement. “The timing of this decision is unfortunate.”
