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Tim MacMahon
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Tim MacMahon
ESPN Workforce Creator
- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
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- Seems incessantly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM
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Ramona Shelburne
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Ramona Shelburne
ESPN Senior Creator
- Senior author for ESPN.com
- Spent seven years on the Los Angeles Day by day Information
Apr 11, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
FOR THE PAST 10 years, Michael Malone have been the lead narrator of the Denver Nuggets’ tale. He performed the cruel man when his group wanted it right through its championship run. He was once the empathetic loyalist when Jamal Murray suffered a devastating knee harm in 2021. He become Nikola Jokic’s hype guy right through every of his 3 MVP seasons, chiding any individual who did not respect or vote for the Serbian celebrity.
Sunday night time, after the Nuggets misplaced their fourth immediately recreation for the primary time since March 2023, Malone was once at his acerbic perfect in assessing the group’s problems and simply how pressing Denver’s dilemma had develop into.
“We’ve not misplaced 4 in a row in a very long time,” Malone mentioned after a 125-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers. “It is in point of fact simple to be in combination and say ‘circle of relatives’ whilst you win. However if you end up shedding video games, are you able to keep in combination? Do you might have the balls, do you might have the braveness to move house and glance within the replicate and say, ‘What can I be doing higher to lend a hand this group?’
“I’m going to get started with me. … How about me, as a head trainer? No longer doing my activity to the most efficient of my talent.”
Little did Malone or any individual within the Denver locker room suspect that group president Josh Kroenke had for months been asking the similar questions.
Malone’s message wasn’t touchdown. 3 weeks previous, after a blowout loss to a Portland Path Blazers group lacking 4 rotation avid gamers, he sat in entrance of the postgame lectern and lit into his group.
“That was once embarrassing. That was once only a comic story,” he mentioned. “Who’re we kidding? 11 video games to move, and that is the reason the hassle we put forth?”
He mentioned rebounding — the Nuggets had given up 26 issues at the offensive glass — and turnovers, off of which the Blazers had scored 25.
“I do not believe we performed with any satisfaction this night,” Malone mentioned.
Requested how the group won that message, the longtime trainer was once blunt.
“I do not in point of fact care,” he mentioned. “My activity is to be truthful, every so often brutally truthful. And the fellows which might be stuffed with s— may not pay attention it. They are going to say, ‘Trainer is trippin.’ And the fellows who possibly do in point of fact care will … they are now not going to return and watch their mins. No one watches their mins. No one watches movie. So we’re going to have to turn them the movie. And I mentioned, ‘If anyone disagrees with me, please talk up.’
“No one mentioned a phrase. I am not curious about how they took that message. My factor is, be truthful with how we simply performed.”
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The Nuggets are a tepid 12-13 for the reason that All-Famous person spoil and feature misplaced a few of what made them so dynamic simply two years in the past, although they continue to be in fourth position within the West following Wednesday’s win towards the Sacramento Kings.
There was extra infighting at the bench and the courtroom than Kroenke had ever noticed. And each and every clip of the ones arguments looked as if it would move viral, whether or not it was once Jokic’s frustration on the group’s protection, a heated alternate between Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, or Gordon making an attempt to huddle at the courtroom and Murray ignoring him.
Moreso, the chilly conflict between Malone and basic supervisor Calvin Sales space had develop into poisonous for everybody within the group.
Coaches, entrance place of business staffers and reinforce team of workers felt pressured to make a choice aspects, a couple of group assets mentioned. As an alternative of that specialize in the right way to get essentially the most out of a group with a three-time MVP having arguably his perfect season as a certified, power was once being spent on figuring out which facet folks have been on — and whether or not they might be relied on.
“Everyone within the group was once depressing,” a group supply mentioned. “That is what Josh felt. It is a dangerous vibe. You’ll be able to’t perform like that. He felt that if he got rid of the ones two folks, everyone may just simply center of attention on doing their activity. Alternate had to occur.”
In interviews with greater than a dozen group and league insiders, a theme briefly emerged: No longer best was once this conflict between Malone and Sales space poisonous for the 2 males, however it had inflamed all the group. For the simpler a part of two years, successful had hidden the toxins coursing throughout the Nuggets. Then they began shedding.
Kroenke made the verdict to fireplace Malone and Sales space past due Sunday night time, assets instructed ESPN. It wasn’t the primary time this season that Kroenke severely contemplated parting tactics with the winningest trainer in franchise historical past and the manager who had put in combination the overall items of the Nuggets’ championship puzzle. Kroenke sought after to wash home on the All-Famous person spoil, assets mentioned, however an eight-game successful streak spared Malone and Sales space.
“There have been positive developments that have been very worrisome to me at positive deadlines, however they might get masked by means of a couple of wins right here and there,” Kroenke mentioned right through an in-house interview launched Tuesday afternoon. “On this planet {of professional} sports activities, the place successful and shedding is your foreign money, successful can masks numerous issues.”
On Monday, he talked it thru together with his father, Stan Kroenke, and Kevin Demoff, who has develop into a extra influential voice within the group since ascending to the function of president of group and media operations for Kroenke Sports activities and Leisure, which additionally owns the Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal FC, somewhat over a yr in the past.
Tuesday was once an non-compulsory day for avid gamers to document, however right through a four-game shedding streak, it’s understood that the most efficient “choice” is to turn up and installed some paintings.
Each and every participant was once there excluding veteran guard Russell Westbrook, who had flown to Los Angeles the place his circle of relatives lives, a couple of assets mentioned. Avid gamers and assistant coaches made their method to Ball Area’s observe courtroom at 10:30 a.m. native time. At that time, unbeknownst to everybody however celebrity middle Nikola Jokic, who had a temporary one-on-one dialogue with Kroenke previously, Malone was once packing a few of his property in his place of business after being knowledgeable that his decade-long tenure in Denver was once executed.
“He instructed me, ‘We decided.’ So it was once now not a dialogue. It was once a choice,” Jokic mentioned Wednesday night time. “He instructed me why. And so I listened. And I accredited it.”
As an alternative of understanding, the remainder of the avid gamers have been known as to an 11 a.m. assembly with Kroenke, the place they discovered that the one trainer lots of them had ever performed for had simply been fired.
“It is simply so disrespectful,” one supply with regards to the location mentioned. “That isn’t the way you deal with a championship trainer.”
It was once a surprise with simply 3 video games left within the common season.
However that is precisely what Kroenke was once going for. “We would have liked to check out to determine a method to squeeze as a lot juice out of the remainder of the season as imaginable,” Kroenke mentioned. “Let’s attempt to shake this tree and squeeze as a lot out of it as we will.”
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1:08
Shams: Nuggets shifting on from Malone, Sales space is ‘shocking’
Shams Charania explains why Nuggets possession moved on from head trainer Michael Malone and basic supervisor Calvin Sales space.
THE NUGGETS HAVE lengthy felt power to place Jokic in place to win championships — plural. No longer simply the only they claimed in 2023. Sales space instructed ESPN ahead of the season that he felt the Nuggets have been midway thru what he was hoping can be a 10-year high for Jokic and his activity was once to enclose him with a roster that might contend in every of the ones closing high years, now not merely load up with dear veterans to contend for one or two extra seasons.
In Sales space’s view, the way in which to do this was once to draft and expand younger, cost-controlled avid gamers like Christian Braun, Watson, Julian Strawther, Zeke Nnaji and Jalen Pickett.
In Malone’s view, the way in which to do this was once to stay as a lot of the core crew — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Jeff Inexperienced — that had received the franchise’s first name in 2023 in combination and slowly carry alongside the ones more youthful avid gamers.
Malone now not best resented that Sales space did not retain the ones avid gamers in unfastened company, but in addition puzzled whether or not Sales space did so to be able to pressure him to play the more youthful avid gamers he had drafted, a couple of assets mentioned.
“They simply noticed the sector totally another way,” any other group supply mentioned.
That stress manifested far and wide.
“The location was once simply unsustainable,” a group supply mentioned. “Trainer Malone and Calvin could not repair it as a result of they made the location all about themselves.”
Avid gamers even puzzled whether or not their taking part in time was once suffering from the disorder between Malone and Sales space, a couple of group assets mentioned.
“If you are considered one of Calvin’s guys, Malone does not wish to play you,” a group supply mentioned, flatly.
Through the years, avid gamers tuned out Malone, from the highest of the roster down, a couple of group assets mentioned.
Stated one, “The avid gamers have been freakin’ depressing, guy. You should see it. The trouble would come and move. I simply want it took place faster. We would not be on this mess.”
Malone is infrequently the primary veteran trainer to be reluctant to offer giant mins to more youthful avid gamers. Mythical trainer Phil Jackson used to confer with inexperienced persons as “not up to pond scum.” Golden State Warriors trainer Steve Kerr did not play the group’s lottery choices up to the entrance place of business and possession would’ve appreciated.
When Malone was once reluctant to play Nnaji at energy ahead, the place analytics display he was once resoundingly higher than as a backup middle, multiple staffer puzzled whether or not there was once an schedule in the back of it.
“The numbers are approach higher [with Nnaji] as a 4 than a 5,” one group supply mentioned. “However if you happen to play him as a 5, he will get uncovered. Who does that make glance dangerous?”
Nnaji was once plus-100 when he performed energy ahead and was once paired with a middle and minus-113 in 235 mins when he performed as a middle, consistent with NBA Complex Stats.
When Malone put Westbrook into the beginning lineup early within the season, pushing Braun again to the bench, even Malone said it wasn’t truthful to Braun.
“By no means a very simple resolution,” Malone mentioned after a 122-112 loss to the New York Knicks during which he had debuted the brand new lineup. “Christian Braun has been nice for us this yr. No longer just right. He is been nice. And he is executed the whole lot that is been requested of him. However I identical to maintaining Russell in the market.”
In Malone’s protection, on the time the Jokic-Westbrook duo had a plus-11.4 internet score at the ground in combination, 5th amongst all two-man duos. Jokic-Braun, at 11.3, ranked 6th.
“What else does CB need to do?” a group supply mentioned. “Malone even mentioned he is executed the whole lot he was once requested to do, and now he is being relegated for Russ?”
Jokic won’t have sounded off publicly at any of this disorder. However he bore witness to all of it season and wasn’t glad about it, assets mentioned.
“Joker is in point of fact just right at letting you know the way he feels,” a group supply mentioned, “with out pronouncing anything else.”
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1:59
Nikola Jokic’s thirty third triple-double powers the Nuggets to a win
Nikola Jokic information his thirty third triple-double of the season to guide the Nuggets to a 124-116 win over the Kings.
JOKIC HAS NEVER given any indication he would glance to play any place rather then Denver. Ahead of the season, he even looked as if it would give a powerful vote of self assurance to the group regardless of the departure of such a lot of key veterans in unfastened company over the former two offseasons.
“I feel folks generally, they at all times need an increasing number of and extra, however they do not know what they have got,” Jokic instructed ESPN. “I am in point of fact glad we’ve got one name — numerous excellent avid gamers do not win.”
The one nod that is even resembled an openness to taking part in any place else got here Tuesday night time, when his longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, replied on Instagram to a Bovada having a bet line of the place his shopper’s subsequent vacation spot might be.
“It isn’t onerous for @bcmegabasket to simply accept 2d position if Lakers are in first,” Raznatovic joked, relating to his involvement with KK Megabasket in Belgrade, Serbia. Nonetheless, the Nuggets have profound urgency about maximizing what stays of Jokic’s high.
“We’ve got the most efficient participant on the planet,” a Nuggets reputable mentioned. “We take that very severely.”
That urgency fueled Kroenke’s resolution, a couple of assets mentioned, and it was once exacerbated by means of two elements.
Jokic is eligible to signal a three-year, $212 million extension this summer season. The idea across the league is that he’ll achieve this. But when there may be even a slight pause in his decision-making, it is going to be devastating for the Nuggets.
And meantime head trainer David Adelman is predicted to be a candidate in numerous of the training vacancies this summer season, assets mentioned. By means of giving him a possibility to train out the remainder of this season, the Nuggets get the scoop on keeping him.
“I feel the avid gamers appreciate [Adelman],” a group supply mentioned. “They get together with him. I feel they are going to reply to him. I sought after him to get the chance previous.”
THE QUESTION OF why Kroenke fired Sales space along with Malone is difficult, but in addition remarkably easy.
When organizational dissension devolves into factions, one group supply defined, either side need to lose.
If Kroenke would’ve picked an aspect, the considering went, everybody at the shedding facet would’ve both needed to get in the back of whichever facet “received” or coated up in the back of whomever was once introduced in instead.
Kroenke held Malone and Sales space liable for permitting their private problems to negatively impact the group, assets mentioned.
“I’m going to put it on either one of them,” a group supply mentioned. “You are the leaders. Each are accountable as a result of they were not getting alongside. It is the egos. Then the whole lot trickled down.”
Over the summer season, Sales space was once presented a freelance extension, assets mentioned. When he didn’t to begin with settle for it, the Kroenkes had a decision: Give a boost to their be offering or do not anything.
For some time, they did not anything. However because the season wore on and the losses fixed, the preliminary be offering wasn’t there for Sales space to signal or negotiate anymore, assets mentioned.
This was once now not specifically unexpected for any individual who has adopted Nuggets entrance place of business machinations. The group has discovered luck in finding govt ability, however much less so at keeping it.
Wednesday, April 16: Play-in
No. 10 Warmth at No. 9 Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
No. 10 Mavericks at No. 9 Kings, 10 p.m.
Friday, April 18: Play-in
Western Convention Eighth-place recreation, TBD
All occasions Japanese
Masai Ujiri left the Nuggets when the Toronto Raptors made him a greater be offering in 2013 and is among the best paid executives within the league. He was once succeeded by means of a protege, Tim Connelly, who blossomed as a lead govt and was once lured away by means of a five-year, $40 million be offering by means of the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the 2022-23 season.
“The Kroenkes do not pay entrance place of business guys,” a league supply mentioned. “They believe they are able to in finding any other just right govt quicker than they are able to in finding any other celebrity or nice trainer. They are going to pay avid gamers and coaches. However that after you’re taking the activity in Denver.”
Sales space was once hoping to greenback that pattern and had appeared smartly on his method to doing so when his acquisitions of Caldwell-Pope and Brown and drafting Braun helped propel the group to the name in his first season as basic supervisor.
Malone won the credit score and an extension after the name run. However Sales space and Kroenke did not greenlight extensions for the assistant coaches on the similar time, assets mentioned. And Kroenke by no means consummated extensions for Sales space or his entrance place of business team of workers, which added to the strain throughout the group, assets mentioned.
As this season wore on and the time closing on folks’s contracts was once operating out, that power larger.
“I put that on possession up to any individual,” a group supply mentioned. “That did not lend a hand the location in any respect.”
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0:48
Nikola Jokic talks about response to Michael Malone firing
Nikola Jokic reacts to the firing of Michael Malone after the Nuggets’ 124-116 win over the Kings.
MUCH HAS BEEN made about Kroenke’s assembly with the avid gamers and coaches Tuesday morning in Denver after he had instructed Malone and Sales space of his resolution.
“I feel it was once a just right factor for everyone to sit down in a room in combination and notice that we have got now not performed as much as our expectation lately,” Adelman mentioned ahead of Wednesday’s recreation in Sacramento. “‘[It was] in point of fact cool for Josh to come back down and be round and communicate to the avid gamers.”
However Kroenke additionally met with the avid gamers Wednesday morning after the group’s assembly in Sacramento, assets mentioned. This time his message was once extra private.
“He mentioned he noticed that we were not having a laugh,” Michael Porter Jr. mentioned. “And that he noticed we were not taking part in as onerous as shall we. So he sought after to come back in right here and lend a hand reestablish that as the foundation of our tradition.”
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All over the group’s championship run, that tradition flourished. Avid gamers relied on every different. There have been no ostensible indicators of drama or stress. The one actual controversy got here after Malone expressed dismay on the approach Jokic and the Nuggets have been being coated after successful Sport 1 of the 2023 Western Convention finals towards LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets wanted Malone to talk like that again then, given the softer voices in their two leaders, Jokic and Murray. They replied to his bark by means of biting again at their fighters. When you are successful, the whole lot falls into position like that.
During the last two years, alternatively, the Nuggets have not received like they anticipated to. Malone narrated all of it, as candidly as he at all times had.
However if you end up shedding, that barking simply turns into noise.
The message will get misplaced. Nobody is heard.
Nobody doubted Malone’s talent as a trainer, assets mentioned, however his inflexible character and the eye his feud with Sales space commanded started to put on skinny.
“Distinction that with Joker, who [is] so unselfish and hates consideration,” a group supply mentioned. “One day, the rubber was once going to hit the street.”
Wednesday night time was once a palate cleanser for everybody. The Nuggets jumped to a 10-3 lead and best trailed in short early in the second one quarter ahead of cruising to an eight-point win in Sacramento.
Adelman mentioned he made some degree of encouraging the avid gamers to talk up in huddles and at the courtroom. He sought after to listen to their voices, now not his.
“I feel so far as conversation is going, it was once most probably our perfect recreation of the yr,” Braun mentioned. “Everyone was once into it. We had avid gamers speaking to one another as an alternative of depending on a trainer to let us know the whole lot.”
All over huddles, Jokic was once engaged and drawing up performs. He talked such a lot his voice appeared hoarse right through a postgame interview with ESPN’s Katie George.
“Josh were given the reaction that he sought after,” Jokic mentioned. “Other people say that we’re inclined. However the beast is at all times the most powerful, or essentially the most unhealthy, when they are inclined. So possibly he awoke the beast.”
The Nuggets have treasured little time left to determine.
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmusik contributed to this document.
