Mike Malone became the first coach to lead the Denver Nuggets to an NBA title. Prior to Malone, the Nuggets had only gone as far as the Western Conference Conference Finals. The Nuggets won their first championship on the back of a dominant 4-1 victory over the Miami Heat. Subsequently, the team celebrated with a parade in Denver on June 15. Malone took over as head coach in 2015, immediately turning around an ailing team that hadn’t had a winning season since 2013. He got them above .500 in his second year and back to the playoffs in his fourth. Furthermore, he helped develop Nikola Jokić into a back-to-back MVP.
Malone has been incredibly vocal throughout the playoffs. He lamented the media fixation on the Lakers despite his side sweeping them. Furthermore, he refused to let the Nuggets get complacent despite their NBA Finals dominance. Before the series-clinching Game 5, he told the team to play like they were desperately in need of a win. The treatment paid off, as the Nuggets put on a historic Finals performance to bring the Larry O’Brien to Denver.
Malone Trolls LeBron
However, now his job is done, Malone is ready to be a little more light-hearted. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Malone couldn’t help but troll LeBron James. The moment came after a question about the Lakers’ adjustments in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. “Well, a really good question, and speaking of the Lakers: I just want you guys to know, this is breaking news, I’m thinking about retiring, so don’t tell anybody.” Malone quickly confirmed he was joking and that team owners did not need to start looking for a replacement.
The quip, of course, was a dig at Lakers veteran LeBron James. LeBron publicly floated the idea that he might retire his offseason after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets. The news sent shockwaves around the NBA for about a week, earning both support and condemnation. However, it appears that LeBron will be returning for at least another season. Despite this, it’s a well-deserved joke for the man who helped take down the Lakers and now sits as an NBA title-winning coach.
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