Shocking: Denver Nuggets fire their championship winning head coach Michael Malone just days before the NBA Playoffs

The Denver Nuggets have just made a move that has left everyone scratching their heads. Michael Malone, the coach who led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA title just a few months ago, has now been fired. This shocking news has certainly taken the basketball world by surprise.

I can’t be the only one staring at my screen, mouth wide open, trying to process what kind of NBA madness is unfolding right now. With March Madness wrapping up in such dramatic fashion, it’s almost like the basketball world didn’t even get a chance to catch its breath before this bombshell dropped.

Denver Nuggets fire Michael Malone

This is tied for the latest coaching change in NBA history, per ESPN Research, matching Hubie Brown in 1980-81. https://t.co/9MeAjEuAQo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 8, 2025

I get it. The Denver Nuggets have been in a slump, dropping four straight games, and sure, they’re currently sitting at the 4th seed in the West. But this move? It’s a head-scratcher. When I saw the breaking news flash across my screen, my first thought was, “Is this some kind of joke?” This isn’t just a coach with a bad track record getting the boot—this is the guy who turned the Nuggets into NBA Champions. We’re talking about the winningest coach in franchise history, and now, he’s out the door?

So, what happened here?

Let’s rewind for a second. The Nuggets were playing pretty well until the injury bug hit them hard this season. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and the rest of the roster have been battling injuries all year, which is tough for any team, especially when you have a generational talent like Nikola Jokić anchoring your squad. But here’s the kicker—they’re still flirting with a 50-win season. Does that sound like a team that needs to fire their coach?

Now, I’m not saying Malone is perfect—no coach is. But what’s so baffling here is that Denver wasn’t having a disastrous season. They’re still sitting solidly in the top half of the playoff picture. And while a 4-game slide is definitely concerning, is firing Malone really going to fix things? What do you expect to happen next? Fire the coach and magically have the players turn into NBA 2K All-Stars?

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We’ve seen this play before. The Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins out of nowhere, and where are they now? 3-7 in their last 10 games and hanging on by a thread in the Western Conference. Yeah, that’s really working out for them, huh?

My initial reaction to the Nuggets firing

@stevenconradjr The Denver Nuggets just FIRED Michael Malone, their winningest coach just days before the #NBA ♬ original sound – Steven Conrad Jr.

With Michael Malone’s firing, it’s hard to ignore the glaring pattern forming in the NBA. FOUR of the last six coaches to win an NBA Finals are now no longer with the team they won the title with. That’s wild, right? It makes you wonder if this is a trend, or if something deeper is happening in today’s league.

The Joker’s Bluff: Malone’s Firing Is a Risky Gamble for the Denver Nuggets, regardless of what happened

I will say this, after doing some deep-diving, In a recent press conference, Malone gave off the vibe that he had lost the Denver Nuggets locker room. His own words seemed to confirm it. And according to Shams Charania, “They felt like the signs were there that this season was not going to end well.”

Whatever the reason, this is a head-scratcher. Michael Malone was the guy who brought Denver their first-ever title, and now, just a few months later, he’s out. The Nuggets better hope this is the spark they need, but history says firing a championship coach isn’t always the answer.

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