In a shocking move in the final week of the NBA regular season, the Denver Nuggets announced the firing of head coach Michael Malone – who led the team to an NBA title two seasons ago. The team also announced it would not extend the contract of general manager Calvin Booth.
“It is with no pleasure that we announce that we have relieved Michael Malone of his head coaching duties, effectively immediately,” Josh Kroenke, the team’s vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement Tuesday. “David Adelman will assume our head coaching role for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and 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.
“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. 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.
“There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey to his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015. It is with our utmost respect that we would like to thank Coach Malone for the most successful decade in Nuggets history, setting the all-time wins record and helping deliver Denver our first championship.”
Malone started his tenure as Denver head coach in 2015 and led the team to its first NBA championship in 2023. He compiled 471 wins as the Nuggets’ head coach.
Denver beat the Miami Heat in five games in the 2023 NBA Finals to cap off an impressive playoff run. The Nuggets lost just four playoff games on their way to winning the championship.
Denver is currently fourth in the NBA’s Western Conference standings with a 47-32 record.
The Nuggets, however, are currently on a four-game losing streak as the NBA’s regular season enters its final week.
Denver has lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers during the four-game run.
The Nuggets face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in their next game. The NBA regular season ends Sunday.
