Just a few days after Taylor Jenkins in Memphis, another coach broke his franchise's winning record. It is about Michael Malone in Denver.
With this 433rd victory (against the Lakers) won since his arrival on the Nuggets bench in 2015, he overtakes Doug Moe, known for his totally unbridled offensive style in the 1980s.
The coach did not hide his emotion on the floor, with tears in his eyes, while DeAndre Jordan jumped on him to congratulate him. At a press conference, he returned to this record.
“The players poured water on me. This shows the connection of this group. We share our successes. We are a family », he explains. “Life is about moments, as my father always told me, and this is a great moment to celebrate with my boys and with the team. »
He would have liked his father to see this…
This is also his only regret in this evening and after this success in Los Angeles: he would have liked his father Brendan Malone, who died on October 9, 2023 and also a former coach, “be there to see this”.
Michael Malone also took the opportunity to pay tribute to the owners of the franchise. It will soon be ten years that he has been on the bench and at the end of the season, he will break a new record with the greatest number of games coached on the Nuggets bench (it is Doug Moe who holds the record with 789, Mike Malone is at 734).
“I’m lucky to work with the Kroenke family, Stan and Josh. They have been wonderful to me and my family. The least I can say is that when someone believes in you, it's powerful. They have continued to believe in me every step of the way and I don’t take that lightly”he concludes.
