The Denver Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth on Tuesday.
David Adelman will reportedly be the interim head coach, the team said.
The decision to fire Malone is a shocking one. The Nuggets are 47-32 this season and are 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
ESPN and NBA journalist Chris Haynes first reported the dismissals.
The Nuggets have just three games left in the regular season before the playoffs begin. Denver has struggled as of late as they have lost their last four games and have won just three of their last 10 games.
“It is with no pleasure that we announce that we have relieved Michael Malone of his head coaching duties, effective immediately. David Adelman will assume our head coaching role for the remainder of the 2024-25 season,” the Nuggets said in a statement.
“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere.”
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone congratulates center Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Malone coached the Nuggets for nearly 10 seasons and led the franchise to their first NBA championship in 2023. Malone was 471-327 in his Nuggets career, and his 471 wins are the most of any coach in franchise history.
“There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey for his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015. It is with our utmost respect that we would like to thank Coach Malone for the most successful decade in Nuggets history, setting the all-time wins record and helping deliver Denver our first championship,” the Nuggets’ statement said.
Booth was promoted to general manager in 2020 after he was hired as an assistant general manager in 2017 and was general manager when the team won the NBA title in 2023.
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
“I want to thank Calvin Booth for leading our front office for the past three years and, most importantly, for helping put the final pieces in place for the roster that delivered Denver and our fans their first NBA Championship,” the statement said.
“We are grateful to Calvin for his eight years with the Nuggets and know his place in Nuggets history as our first championship-winning GM will be honored for years to come.”
The Nuggets’ next game is against the Sacramento Kings is on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
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