Michael Malone has been making waves for his appearance on ESPN during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. In his first appearance on national TV since being fired in April, the former Nuggets coach did a great job of breaking down the matchup between the Thunder and Timberwolves, but was sure to sneak in a few potshots at his former employer.
Malone first drew the ire of Denver fans by commenting on the atmosphere in Oklahoma City and referring to Thunder fans as the “best fans in the NBA”. This was obviously meant to be complimentary of the fanbase, but came off as a shot at Nuggets fans.
But he angered fans even more after the game when reflecting on the Game 1 victory for OKC, Malone, talking about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, claimed, “he showed why he’s the MVP”. Seemingly an innocent enough comment, but it’s impossible not to think about Nikola Jokic, SGA’s main competition for MVP, a player Malone coached for the past 10 years.
George Karl takes shot at Michael Malone
But while one former Nuggets coach was throwing subtle shade at Jokic and the Denver fanbase, another famous former coach was doing just the opposite. George Karl, who coached the Nuggets from 2005-2013, presided over one of the most successful eras in franchise history until recently.
Since retiring, Karl has been in the news plenty for his hot, sometimes controversial takes, including a tell-all book he authored, which infamously took some jabs at Carmelo Anthony.
This time, Karl took to Twitter to praise Jokic and needle at Malone. Karl tweeted out,
“Jokic was the MVP again this season and it wasn’t that close.
But I guess I’m the only former Nuggets coach who knows that.”
This was clearly a response to Malone’s comments about SGA, made by Karl in the wake of the NBA’s announcement that Gilgeous-Alexander was officially named MVP. Karl’s relationship with Denver has been complicated since he left, but this will definitely help him get in the good graces of fans.
Malone shouldn’t be painted as the bad guy
Karl is clearly trying to appeal to Nuggets fans and capitalizing on the opportunity to kick Malone while he’s down. But let’s take a step back and give Malone a fair shake here. He led this team for a decade and was the best and most successful coach the franchise has ever had.
Things obviously ended poorly, but Malone got a tough shake, fired with just a week left in the season after the run he had. They stabbed him in the back, left him out to dry, and, fair or not, painted him as the scapegoat.
He didn’t deserve that treatment, and if he harbors some resentment, who could possibly blame him? The wounds are still raw, and Malone may still reasonably hold some grudges. At the same time, nothing he said was out of line, and he was just doing his job, praising a great Thunder team, fanbase, and player, who DID win the MVP award.
Things seem ugly now, but time heals all wounds. Malone will settle into life after Denver, and the Nuggets will settle into life after Malone. He will come back to Denver and be honored as a hero, rightfully so. All will be right in Nuggets-land someday, but it may not happen this season.