Nuggets president and owner Josh Kroenke fired general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday.
And Malone’s firing, in particular, sent shockwaves across the NBA with head coaches reacting to the end of what had been the fourth-longest head coaching tenure in the league. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
“I wake up every day saying this could be my last day. You have to have that type of perspective. Because it gives you gratitude. It also keeps you hungry. … You have to have a healthy balance of you want this for as long as you can. At the same time you are very much replaceable, because that’s just how it works. So every day I remind myself of my own mortality, and I think that’s what keeps me in a perspective and a gratitude of the opportunity that you have.”
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
“Shocked like everyone. Mike has obviously been a great, great coach, championship coach and (had) a fantastic record. And, again, like with (fired Memphis coach) Taylor (Jenkins) you don’t expect anything like this this late in the season. And then, as I said with Talyor, organizations have to do their own business, and we aren’t privy to any of that. So I have no idea what was happening, so I can’t really comment on anything other than wishing Mike well because he’s done an amazing job. It doesn’t seem right, but this is the business that we’re in. We’re all going to suffer a similar fate at some point. That’s kind of the way it is.”
Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic
“It feels all too familiar that we’re saying that as of late. I’ll preface this by saying I don’t know what’s going on in other organizations, so it’s hard to speak on what happens there. But in situations like this, where you look up and four of the last six coaches that were in the Finals are no longer with their respective teams. You have a Mike Brown, who was Coach of the Year a year and a half ago, who was fired. Taylor Jenkins, who’s won four out of five years that he’s been there. Mike Malone, who just won a championship a year and a half ago. …
“You look, and as a coach, you understand the job that we’ve signed up for, and that’s very apparent. We know what comes with the territory. But then it makes you look at yourself as a coach individually, because you have to reflect back and say, ‘Am I doing the things that I need to do every single day to continue to walk into this building and love the job? Am I enjoying the journey and the people that I’m on it with? Am I enjoying the organization that I’m with? And am I doing it, are we doing it the way that we’re supposed to be doing it?’ And that’s just self-reflection because you see that this happens in this industry.”
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Lakers
“Shocked, I think like most people. I think coaching profession has always been perilous. It is getting more and more perilous. And the patience across the board for everything — coaching, players, front office — it feels like everybody is really pushing for now. And there are certain franchises — OKC is a great example — that have the same GM for 17 years or however long it is. And (head coach Mark) Daigneault, I would expect him to be here a while. The continuity piece is very hard in the NBA. And it’s not just with coaching, it’s with rosters. And that’s just the reality of the NBA now. Coach Malone is a great basketball coach. I’d been fortunate to play for his father for five years in Orlando. So I always felt a connection to Coach Malone and a high level of respect.”
Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix Suns
“This league is tough. To win a championship, to have all the success he’s had, to build the program that he’s built, the individual success for their players, the organizational success … he’s just a great coach. The proof is in everything that he’s done.”
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
“Just disappointment. It’s the unfortunate part of the business. I’ve known Michael for decades. Unbelievable family. Great coach. So you hate to see it, particularly when he had been there so long. I also worked with Calvin Booth, who’s a terrific guy as well. But Michael just did a phenomenal job there and it’s really unfortunate.”
Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
“Obviously surprise just like everybody else. I also don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of everything, but I do know competing against their team over the past couple of years I have great respect for their whole team. They are really, really hard to compete against. They put you in a lot of dilemmas. They are organized. They are tight. And I think that’s a reflection of their players and the continuity that they have. And I think that’s a reflection of their coaching staff and Coach Malone. So I always had respect for him as a competitor and was certainly surprised just like everybody else.”
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Originally Published: April 8, 2025 at 9:05 PM MDT
