April 8 (UPI) — The Denver Nuggets shocked the NBA sports world Tuesday in a team shakeup that saw the ouster of head coach Michael Malone and the team’s general manager, Calvin Booth.
“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully,” Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement.
The team announced on social media earlier in the afternoon that it had relieved Malone of his duties.
Meanwhile, lead assistant David Adelman will assume the role of head coach for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
“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,” stated Kroenke.
He added the Denver Nuggets also will not extend the contract of General Manager Calvin Booth.
“Calvin’s knowledge of the game, his passion for scouting, and his long history as a player and executive in the NBA helped lift our organization to new heights, which we will continue moving forward,” Kroenke continued.
Malone, 53, has been in the role since the 2015 season and brought the Denver Nuggets to a championship in 2023.
Kroenke, pointing to Malone’s “record-breaking” 10-year career in Denver, said that while the timing was “unfortunate” and Malone “helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program,” the decision to change leadership was “a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now.”
He was award his second contract extension in December 2019 for the 2022-2023 season.
“There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey for his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015,” says Kroenke. “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.”
On Wednesday, the Nuggets play their next game against the Sacramento Kings.
