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Jokic described how the conversation quickly turned to Malone's future. "Then he comes up to me and says: 'What do you think, should we fire the coach?' The decision had basically already been made. This was about five games before the playoffs." When asked for his input, Jokic shared his honest reaction. "'Maybe you should wait?' And he asked me: 'What do you want to see happen? Do you want the team to wake up? Do you want to see if the coach can handle it? What's your idea?' I said: 'I think you've already answered your own question.'" He was clear about his role in the situation. "So when people say that I fired Malone or that I saved him, that's nonsense. I just found out a little earlier than everyone else."
“So, now put yourself in Joe Mazzulla’s shoes. Take me through the conversations you’d be having with Tatum today, all day leading up to it, and then during the game. What are you going to be saying to him, and what are you listening for him to say to you?” Michael Malone: “I’m telling him to relax and enjoy this. You’ve done all the hard work. I think the hardest part about this 10-month stretch that Tatum’s gone through is the mental—the dark days, the rehab, doubting yourself: ‘Can I get back?’ I’m sure the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla, and Brad Stevens have made sure they surrounded Tatum. They’ve loved him, and there was no pressure for him to come back. They wanted him to come back when he felt ready. So, if I’m Joe Mazzulla, I’m putting my arm around him. I’m telling him how much I love him, how much I believe in him, and how much I have his back. We’re not looking to see him go out there and get 25 points tonight. We want him to come along slowly, build his minutes up. There’ll be a minute restriction tonight.”
It's approaching a year since the Denver Nuggets fired Calvin Booth and Michael Malone on the same day. It was a stunning move that ended the tenures of the GM and coach who delivered the franchise its first championship just two years earlier. The two clashed over how to build a roster after the title. Malone wanted veterans. Booth wanted to develop young players. They didn’t see eye to eye. They talked behind each other’s backs. And Nuggets president Josh Kroenke had enough of the tension consuming the organization. “I think we both would admit a lot of stuff is overblown,” Booth said on The Kevin O’Connor Show in an illuminating conversation that shows an ex-GM still processing what happened, still proud of what he built, and still waiting on the phone to ring.
"You could put 100 GMs in my position," he said. "I don't know what, three or four of them do as good as I did." Still, understanding the problem and solving it are different things. "When I get that title, it's not an option for me not to do my job," Booth said. "So I think one of the only outcomes where everybody thinks we're aligned is me submit, lay down, not do the job. And that's not an option for me. So some version of this was going to happen. Could have been quieter. Could have not grown legs with the media. Could have not been such a crawl in ownership's pants. Maybe there's some different things that could happen in that regard.”
MrBuckBuck: Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic: "When I coached him, I had a hard time getting him to sit."
Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic: "When I coached him, I had a hard time getting him to sit." pic.twitter.com/88NPKtiyz0
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 5, 2026
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As they are navigating through a challenging season already, Michael Malone is wary of added distractions in the Lakers due to Redick's public comments. "Every coach does it differently, but I’m a firm believer in having a lot of those conversations one-on-one in the locker room, in front of your team, you call guys out," the former Denver Nuggets head coach said on ESPN's NBA Countdown. "I know for myself, going into every season, you want to eliminate as many distractions as possible. "Winning is hard in the NBA. When you have JJ calling out his players, LeBron talking about not having the ball enough, Deandre Ayton talking about not having the ball enough, there’s a lot of noise around this team right now."
On paper, Redick and the Lakers might be a title heavyweight. But the group definitely has tons of issues, particularly on the defensive end wherein they rank 24th league-wide (117.2). "It’s hard to have an identity when you don’t guard, you’re great in the clutch, but a lot of those clutch wins have been against teams below .500%. Every night, you’re not sure which Laker team you’re going to get," Malone said. "I saw a picture of JJ Redick, I feel for him. He’s got that thousand-mile stare."
ESPN is rolling out a fresh look for NBA Countdown, adding new voices and upgraded technology as the network prepares for its next slate of marquee game nights. The revamped studio team will debut Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App. Senior writer Brian Windhorst joins the program after signing a multi-year extension with the network. His addition strengthens a panel that will now feature 2023 NBA champion head coach Michael Malone and 2008 NBA champion Kendrick Perkins as analysts.
NBA on ESPN: "I'm definitely not done coaching." Former Nuggets HC Michael Malone sets the record straight on Inside the NBA 😤🔥
Among the many points of contention between former coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, according to league sources, was where certain young players spent their time training in the offseason: in Denver with Malone’s player development staff, or elsewhere with a shooting coach hired by Booth.
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The display of unity represented an important element of Denver’s offseason reset -- an increased emphasis from team management on camaraderie in the aftermath of a house-divided work environment that characterized last season. Among the many points of contention between former coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, according to league sources, was where certain young players spent their time training in the offseason: in Denver with Malone’s player development staff, or elsewhere with a shooting coach hired by Booth.
Kendrick Perkins: How would you manage that situation if you were Steve Kerr in that locker room with Jonathan Kuminga? Michael Malone: Well, yeah, I think it's such a great point, Perk. And it comes down to communication. Steve's come out and said it. That communication is key. Him and Kuminga have a relationship, but they got to sit down in the room. And right now, it's a battle between Steve Curry saying, "This is what we want." And then Kuminga saying, "Well, this is what I want" and that they have to find a way to marry that and merge that because you look at what Jonathan Kuminga did in games 2, three, four, and five in that second series against Minnesota. Steph Curry got hurt. Kuminga became a focal point and showed out.
How did you meet the moment last season with both thriving in a bigger role and navigating external issues with team injuries and the dynamic between your former coach (Malone) and GM (Booth)? Braun: “I’m always grateful for the people who put me in those spots. I understand that Calvin Booth paved my way. He drafted me and paved my way to get that opportunity. So I’m grateful for him. Coach Malone threw me in the Finals as a rookie and played me a ton of minutes my whole career. So I’m grateful for those people for putting me in those spots. I’m grateful for what Nikola has done for me, what Jamal has done for me and what Aaron has done for me up until this point.
Former Nuggets coach Michael Malone has agreed to a deal with ESPN but he still has coaching aspirations after a bitter ending in Denver. Malone has said if he were to coach again he would prefer a harmonious front office, which wasn’t the case in Denver. He often clashed with general manager Calvin Booth about personnel decisions and both were fired by governor Josh Kronke in the final week of the regular season, less than two years after the Nuggets won a championship. Malone will be the first name mentioned for potential openings over the next few months with former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau as another strong candidate.