Nuggets' Josh Kroenke Expands on Surprising Michael Malone Firing

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 8:07 PM ET

With the Denver Nuggets in the thick of the championship hunt, it didn't appear they needed any significant changes. That didn't stop the team from making one.

On Tuesday, the Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. David Adelman will replace Malone as interim HC.

Denver had one of its most successful periods in franchise history in three seasons under the duo, winning its only championship during the 2022-23 season.

Despite their solid track record, Nuggets president and governor Josh Kroenke noticed something seemed off with the team in recent weeks and felt it could continue to spiral if he didn't do something.

Hear from Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of KSE, regarding today’s news. pic.twitter.com/n1J5QDGttT
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 8, 2025

"Having observed that group over a period of time, there were certain trends that were very worrisome to me at different points in time," Kroenke told Altitude TV's Vic Lombardi. "But that would get masked by a few wins here and there."

The Nuggets are 47-32 and would have the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference if the playoffs started on Tuesday. However, they're 11-13 since the All-Star break and have lost their past four games.

Tension between Booth and Malone probably didn't help matters. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported Denver was expected to move on from Booth and/or Malone because of a "cold war" between the two.

Sources say ownership felt like team needed a jolt in hopes of still making a run and that vibes had not been good. There was an expectation things were likely to change with either Malone and/or Booth after season due to what sources described as a “cold war” between the two. https://t.co/1N8t59tpmC
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 8, 2025