Michael Malone’s departure from the Denver Nuggets stirred controversy because it occurred before the NBA playoffs. Several days after his dismissal, Malone broke the ice, and he sent a message publicly for the first time since his exit.

Despite being the winningest coach in franchise history and guiding the team to the 2023 championship, Michael Malone was fired by the Denver Nuggets. It was a stunning move considering the Nuggets had only three games left in the regular season when Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were fired.

During Denver Nuggets governor and team president Josh Kroenke's press conference on Monday, a reporter prefaced a question by describing last week's firing of Michael Malone as "one of the latest" such decisions that a playoff-bound team has ever made. Kroenke immediately corrected him.