Michael Malone, the head coach who led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023, was unexpectedly fired on Tuesday as the team nears the end of the regular season. Alongside him, GM Calvin Booth will also depart as his contract is not being renewed. David Adelman is set to take over coaching duties for the remainder of the season.

Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, regrettably stated, “It is with no pleasure that we made the change at coach. This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship.”

Currently, the Nuggets have a 47-32 record but have faced challenges lately, losing four straight games and are competing for playoff positioning. Despite Nikola Jokic’s stellar performance - averaging 30 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists this season - the team is not assured a strong playoff position.

After their latest loss to Indiana, Jokic reflected on the team’s struggles, saying, “I don’t know. Maybe we just… I don’t know, actually.”

The Nuggets historically achieved great success under Malone, who had the fourth-longest tenure among active NBA coaches. He secured 471 wins during his time, surpassing the franchise’s previous record held by Doug Moe. Kroenke acknowledged Malone’s substantial contributions to building the championship-caliber program while noting the need to compete at a higher level for the current season and beyond.

The team hopes that this coaching change may reignite their performance as they prepare for the playoffs commencing soon.