Denver Nuggets Owner On Why He Fired Michael Malone

In a shocking turn of events that rocked the NBA landscape, Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke announced the firing of longtime head coach Michael Malone, citing the team’s recent struggles and a need to reset their championship expectations. 

The move, coming with just three games left in the 2024-25 regular season, marked the end of a decade-long tenure for Malone, who led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship in 2023 and holds the franchise’s all-time wins record.

"It is with no pleasure that we announce that we have relieved Michael Malone of his head coaching duties, effectively immediately. 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."

David Adelman, a longtime assistant under Malone, has been named interim head coach for the rest of the season. But this abrupt decision wasn’t just about on-court performance. Reports suggest that behind-the-scenes friction between Malone and GM Calvin Booth had been festering for years. 

The two rarely communicated directly and reportedly worked through intermediaries, creating a dysfunctional dynamic that ultimately boiled over once the team’s on-court results began to falter.

Pver the last five seasons, Malone has racked up the most wins of any head coach in the league with 252 victories—more than any of his peers. It’s a testament to the stability, vision, and leadership Malone has brought to Denver since taking over the franchise in 2015.

During his tenure, the Nuggets have enjoyed an impressive eight consecutive winning seasons under his guidance. This run includes multiple deep playoff appearances, a Western Conference Finals berth in 2020, and the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship in 2023. But that wasn't the case this season.

Despite Nikola Jokic’s historic individual season, which included multiple 50-point triple-doubles and league-leading performances across four major statistical categories, the Nuggets sit at 47-32—4th in the West and at real risk of slipping as low as 8th.

Their defense has regressed significantly, and the once-vaunted roster depth that helped them win the 2023 title has thinned out due to offseason departures and questionable front office decisions.

Since winning the championship, the Nuggets have let key role players like Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk without securing adequate replacements. 

Their early exit in the 2024 playoffs, blowing a 20-point lead in Game 7 at home against the Timberwolves, was a precursor to deeper issues. The lack of wing defense and bench scoring became glaring holes, which even Jokic’s brilliance couldn’t patch.

Now, the Nuggets face a pivotal moment. Can they salvage the season under Adelman? Can the locker room rally behind Jokic and make a deep playoff run? Or is this the beginning of a more profound shakeup in Denver’s basketball operations?

What’s clear is this: Denver’s window remains open as long as Nikola Jokic is in his prime, but internal friction, roster erosion, and defensive shortcomings have put the franchise at a crossroads. Firing Malone is not just a coaching change—it’s a statement that complacency will not be tolerated.