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Nuggets Star Opens Up About What ‘Sucks’ the Most About Michael Malone Firing

Andy Nesbitt

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray reacts in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray reacts in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Denver Nuggets will close out their regular season on Sunday when they face the Rockets in Houston at 3:30 p.m ET. While it's a huge game for their playoff positioning, a lot of the focus on the team continues to be around the shocking decision made earlier this past week when head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were fired.

Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray spoke openly about the firing of Malone after Friday's win over the Grizzlies. Malone was the only coach Murray had in his NBA career and the two won a championship together in 2023.

“Coach always has had my back, from a young kid coming up in this league up until now. He’s always rooted for me,” Murray told the Denver Post. “Like I said, he always had my back and always kept me in good spirits. So I want to give that kind of same energy to him, the same kind of respect. We don’t get here without him.

“I think he’s done a great job of also setting the example for the group behind us—not just us but for the group behind us. He always preached a lot of sacrifice and playing for one another and stuff, but I thought Coach always showed a lot of humility in himself. Always taking control of the room. Always hating to lose. He was always setting the tone in that regard."

Murray added that the timing of it all wasn't great:

“So it sucks to kind of see him go like that, especially the way it happened this late (in the season). But we’re still gonna remain in contact and stuff like that.”

The Nuggets currently hold the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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