Nuggets Players Reportedly 'Grew Tired of' Michael Malone's 'Outbursts' Before Firing

The Denver Nuggets shocked the NBA when they fired head coach Michael Malone shortly before the start of the playoffs, but there was reportedly some internal frustration from the players regarding his style that may have contributed to the move.

Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reported on the situation Saturday and highlighted how "Malone runs hot and doesn't hide it," which impacted his perception on the team.

"Players grew tired of that explosive coaching style, finding his outbursts a stale method of getting through to them, according to multiple sources familiar with their thinking," Durando wrote. "Malone's intensity had the wrong effect on a large portion of the locker room. Yelling didn't resonate. [Nikola] Jokić was aware of the increasing frustration and harbored some of his own."

That Jokić reportedly held some resentment is particularly notable, as he is the face of the franchise and one of the best players in league history as a three-time MVP who challenged for his fourth this season.

While there have been no reports to suggest the big man pushed for Malone's firing, ESPN's Shams Charania reported during Wednesday's NBA Countdown that he "understood" the team's decision after he was told.

A Friday report from ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne echoed some of Durando's reporting with one source saying, "The players were freakin' miserable, man. You could see it. The effort would come and go. I just wish it happened sooner. We wouldn't be in this mess."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on his Hoop Collective podcast that "it got out pretty quickly in the NBA that Michael Malone's reaction to being fired was not calm."

All indications are the head coach's emotional state played a role in his firing despite what was otherwise a successful tenure that started with the 2015-16 season.

Malone went 471-327 with the Nuggets and led them to their only championship in franchise history in 2023. This is the seventh consecutive season they will be in the playoffs during a run that also saw them advance to the 2020 Western Conference Finals.

While it was a rather unceremonious end given the timing of the firing, Malone still holds an important place in Nuggets history and will surely be a candidate for future jobs around the league.