The Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who served as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings for a season-and-a-half from 2013-2014, did not hold back when discussing his disapproval of how the Kings handled the dismissal of Mike Brown.
Malone voiced his frustration with the timing and manner of Brown’s firing, offering a blunt critique of the franchise’s decision-making. This criticism was relayed by Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“What really pissed me off about it was that they lost (Thursday) night, fifth game in a row, I believe – tough loss, fouling a jump-shooter – they have practice this morning, he does his post-(practice) media, and he’s in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A.,” Malone said.
“And they call him on the phone (to fire him). No class. No balls. That’s what I’ll say about that.”
The veteran coach was clearly taken aback by how the Kings handled the situation, citing the lack of personal approach and respect for the coach after a tough loss.
The decision to fire Brown took Malone by surprise at first, but he quickly recognized that it wasn’t entirely unexpected given the nature of the NBA and the realities of coaching.
“One, because as an NBA head coach, ultimately you’re going to get the blame,” Malone said. “When they win, it’s going to go to (Domantas) Sabonis and (De’Aaron) Fox. When you lose, it’s gonna go to Mike Brown. That’s the way it works.”
The former Kings head coach acknowledged the well-known dynamic in the NBA where head coaches are often the first to take the fall when teams fail, regardless of the underlying factors.
Malone also pointed to the role of ownership in coaching decisions, drawing on his own experience as an example. “And two, who he works for. So I’m not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person.”
The Nuggets’ coach’s reference to the person he shares as a former employer underlined his belief that such moves are often driven by organizational priorities, and he emphasized that he had faced a similar fate while coaching Sacramento.
His strong words underscored his belief that the firing process lacked professionalism, especially considering the circumstances surrounding Brown’s dismissal.
Western Notes: Malone, Brown, Suns, Mavs, Pels, Morant, Kawamura https://t.co/nXHpy9xTxK pic.twitter.com/PirgPs6tlL
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 28, 2024
