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In one of the season\u2019s most stunning developments, the Denver Nuggets<\/a> parted ways with coach Michael Malone \u2014 who led them to their lone NBA championship in 2023 \u2014 and general manager Calvin Booth, just days before the playoffs begin.<\/p>\n On Thursday\u2019s episode of \u201cInside the NBA,\u201d Shaquille O\u2019Neal called the move disrespectful, criticizing the Nuggets’ choice to let Malone go so soon after delivering a title.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/template><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 <\/p>\n <\/template><\/p>\n \u201cI would have liked to see them give him (Malone) a little bit more respect,\u201d O\u2019Neal said. \u201cHe did bring a championship to the organization.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cAnd listen, to get those guys back, Kenny knows this, the NBA is a season full of peaks and valleys, so if they peak at the right time, they do have the personnel to possibly win another championship.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Nuggets have battled through a rough stretch of injuries this season, most recently to Jamal Murray<\/a>, the Robin to Nikola Jokic\u2019s Batman, who has missed the team’s last six games due to a hamstring injury. Since the All-Star break, the team is just 12-13. Prior to Wednesday\u2019s 124-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings, they were riding a four-game skid.<\/p>\n Assistant David Adelman has stepped in as interim head coach, while Denver is expected to conduct a thorough GM search during the offseason.<\/p>\n Following the win against Sacramento, Nikola Jokic<\/a> said he was informed of Michael Malone\u2019s dismissal ahead of time.<\/p>\n “I knew a little bit before everybody,” Jokic said (per ESPN). “And he (Josh Kroenke) told me, ‘We made a decision.’ So it was not a discussion. It was a decision. He told me why. And so I listened. And I accepted it. I’m not going to tell you what he told me. I’m going to keep that private.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n With the postseason looming, the Nuggets’ focus now shifts to regaining their rhythm.<\/p>\n As of writing, they sit at No. 4 in the Western Conference with a 48-32 record. They\u2019ll close out the regular season with back-to-back games: at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, then a road test against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p>\n Adelman emphasized that the team must rally together and find their collective identity quickly.<\/p>\n “The last 30 hours have been pretty crazy, pretty stressful for everybody,” Adelman said ahead of the Kings game (per Fox Sports).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n “But the bottom line was we have to stay unified. I think it was a good thing for everyone to sit in a room together and realize that we have not played to our expectation as of late. That\u2019s not just the players (but) everybody that\u2019s a part of this.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n With his dismissal, Michael Malone now holds an NBA record \u2014 tied with Hubie Brown \u2014 for the most games coached (79) and most wins (47, tied with Larry Brown) by a coach fired during the season.<\/p>\n![\"march](\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/march-madness-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nNikola Jokic says he knew about Nuggets’ Michael Malone decision in advance<\/h2>\n