Less than two years ago, Michael Malone stood tall as the triumphant head coach of the Denver Nuggets, leading them to their first-ever championship in June 2023. Celebrated as “the Lakers’ daddy” at the championship parade after defeating Los Angeles, Malone voiced his ambitions for more: “We don’t want one [championship], we want two.”

However, the tides turned swiftly, and with the Nuggets currently sitting fourth in the Western Conference with only three games left in the regular season, both Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were unexpectedly dismissed on Tuesday. With a decade in charge and a record of 510-394, Malone’s release stunned many within the league. Taking over as interim coach will be assistant coach David Adelman.

The circumstances surrounding such a drastic decision are perplexing, especially as the Nuggets are viewed as championship contenders. This sudden change echoes a similar situation in the West, where the Memphis Grizzlies also fired their coach, Taylor Jenkins, just over a week ago.

The pivotal question now for the Nuggets is whether this will disrupt the team’s cohesion, particularly as only two games separate third-place from eighth in the tightly contested Western Conference. Furthermore, the Nuggets have been navigating challenges, including Jamal Murray being sidelined with a hamstring injury, which has contributed to a four-game losing streak.

In a statement, Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, defended the choice, stating: “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.”

Internally, there were reported tensions between Malone and Booth, especially regarding the management’s strategy. The Nuggets’ roster has faced numerous injuries and fluctuations this season, compounded by poor defensive ratings. Despite this, with Nikola Jokic competing for the MVP Award and the Nuggets eyeing their playoff campaign, Malone’s firing was quite unexpected.

With Malone’s departure, he joins a growing list of coaches who have faced similar fates despite recent successes, as three of the four coaches who won championships between 2020 and 2023 have been let go, emphasizing the volatility at the coaching level within the league.

Just months prior, Malone criticized the recent dismissal of Mike Brown, the unanimous Coach of the Year 2023 winner, showing his frustration towards how unjust the coaching profession could be. Now, Malone finds himself on the other side of such decisions.