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Michael Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023 and had the team poised for a playoff appearance for the seventh consecutive time. Despite experiencing a four-game losing streak, they remained in a position to secure home-court advantage for the first round.
In an unexpected decision, the Nuggets announced Malone’s dismissal on Tuesday, just days before the conclusion of the regular season. Alongside Malone, general manager Calvin Booth is also departing, with his contract not being renewed. David Adelman has been appointed as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Nuggets, expressed regret over the coaching change. “This decision was not made lightly and was given careful consideration. We aim to provide our team with the best possible opportunity to compete for the 2025 NBA championship and secure another title for Denver and our fans,” Kroenke remarked.
The Nuggets’ decision to replace their head coach with only three games remaining in the season is unprecedented for a team likely to reach the playoffs. Although the Nuggets aren’t officially in yet, they are guaranteed at least a spot in the Play-In Tournament. The most recent in-season coaching change for a playoff team prior to this was in 1983 when Larry Brown left the New Jersey Nets with six games remaining to take a position at the University of Kansas.
Currently holding a 47-32 record, the Nuggets are part of a tightly contested race for home-court advantage in the playoffs. Following their championship win in 2023, they faced Minnesota in a Game 7 at home during last year’s Western Conference semifinals.
After the recent setback against Indiana, where the Nuggets suffered a 125-120 defeat, Malone accepted responsibility for the losing streak. “I’ll begin with myself: We’ve lost four games consecutively and I won’t blame anyone else. It’s me as the head coach who needs to step up,” he stated. “We haven’t experienced such a losing streak in quite some time. It’s easy to claim we’re a family when we win, but can we maintain that unity when we face losses?”
This challenging period comes despite the impressive performance of Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, who is averaging 30 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. However, even this exceptional output wasn’t sufficient for the team to secure home-court advantage leading into the final week of the season.
When asked about the team’s current issues after the loss to the Pacers, Jokić offered a vague response: “I don’t know. Maybe we just … I don’t know, honestly.”
The news of Malone’s firing has drawn reactions from prominent figures like Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter, and Candace Parker. The Nuggets are looking for a shift to possibly ignite a turnaround.
Malone had the fourth-longest tenure among active NBA coaches, following San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, and Golden State’s Steve Kerr. He achieved a significant milestone with 471 regular-season victories in Denver, surpassing Doug Moe to become the franchise’s all-time winningest coach.
“While we regret the timing of this decision, we recognize that Coach Malone was instrumental in building the foundation of our championship-caliber program. However, this step is necessary for us to compete at the highest level. Our standards for championship aspirations remain intact as we look both at the current season and the future, building on the groundwork laid by Coach Malone throughout his remarkable 10-year tenure,” Kroenke added.
Malone experienced considerable success in Denver, leading the team to winning seasons in each of his last eight years after two initial losing records. This year will mark the Nuggets’ seventh consecutive trip to the postseason, and while they haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet, they are guaranteed participation in the Play-In Tournament.
Since Malone’s first playoff run in 2019, the Nuggets have advanced past the first round six times out of seven, including a historic journey to the NBA Finals in 2023 where they claimed the championship by winning 16 out of 20 playoff games.
Remarkably, this is the second time in just two weeks that a team on the brink of the playoffs has dismissed its coach. Earlier, the Memphis Grizzlies let go of Taylor Jenkins with nine games remaining, promoting Tuomas Iisalo to interim head coach.
The Nets previously parted ways with Brown with six games left in the 1982-83 season, and made a coaching switch in the 2019-20 ‘bubble’ season when Kenny Atkinson was replaced by Jacque Vaughn with ten games remaining. Both the 1983 and 2020 Nets went 0-6 in playoff games after those coaching changes. The outcomes for the Grizzlies and Nuggets will unfold in time.
Calvin Booth joined the Nuggets as an assistant general manager in 2017 and was elevated to GM in July 2020, signing his most recent contract in 2022.
Kroenke acknowledged Booth’s contributions, stating, “Calvin was integral in assembling the final components of the roster that brought Denver its first NBA championship. His expertise in the game, fervor for scouting, and extensive background as both a player and executive elevated our organization to unprecedented heights, and we will continue to build upon that legacy.”
The Nuggets are scheduled to play against Sacramento on Wednesday.
