Boston Celtics coach reacts to Nuggets’ shocking Michael Malone firing (2025)

NEW YORK — The NBA coaching profession again got shocking news Tuesday as the Nuggets fired coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. Not only did Malone win the 2023 NBA title, the timing is another factor as the Nuggets only have three games left in the regular season. David Adelman is set to be the interim coach heading into the playoffs.

Nonetheless, Denver still went ahead and made the stunning move Tuesday. The Nuggets are in the thick of the West playoff race at 47-32 and fourth in the West, though the standings are jam-packed.

C’s coach Joe Mazzulla reacted to the news ahead of Boston playing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Instead of focusing on the firing, Mazzulla also pointed out Malone was in Denver coaching for a decade.

“That’s a lot,” Mazzulla said. “You hope for stuff like that. You hope for situation, stability to be somewhere for as long as you have. When it’s your time, it’s your time. I think you focus more on the fact that he was able to be there for 10 years. Not many coaches get to do that. I think there’s only two left, three left now? (Gregg Popovich), (Erik Spoelstra) and (Steve) Kerr are the only ones that have gone as long as that. You hope for that. But you know that not everybody gets that opportunity.”

The Nuggets news follows another shocking move, when the Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins also right before the playoffs. The Jenkins move was a stunner itself considering the Grizzlies battled injuries and with the season coming to a close. But the Malone news sent shockwaves around the league as he became the franchise’s winningest coach earlier this season.

But that’s life in the NBA, where situations can change suddenly and with little notice. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is putting together his best statistical season, but the Nuggets have struggled of late. With the playoffs so close, the Nuggets will rally behind Adelman. Mazzulla spoke about how there’s little guaranteed when it comes to coaching in the league.

“It’s part of what motivates me, but I wake up every day saying this is going to be my last day,” Mazzulla said. “You have to have that type of perspective because it gives you gratitude because it also keeps you hungry. So you just have to have a healthy balance of you want this for as long as you can.

“At the same time, you’re replaceable because that’s just how it works. So every day, I remind myself of my own mortality and I think that’s what kind of keeps me in a better perspective and a gratitude of the opportunity that you have.”