Michael Malone was fired by the Denver Nuggets this season. Their former head coach was quick to upset the fanbase in Colorado, before walking those comments back.
Why were Denver fans upset with their old coach? It had to do with the MVP debate. After being adamant that Nikola Jokic was the MVP whilst coaching the Nuggets, Malone was quick to switch up and call Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that on the air.
Everyone knows now that the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar did indeed claim the award. However, Malone still walked back those comments.
"I did vote for [Jokic] this year, if I had a vote. I want to make sure the people of Denver know that, because I’m getting a lot of heat back home," Malone said on the pre-game show.
The former Nuggets coach was looking to earn back more good will in Denver after that. Malone made a big five-word statement about Gilgeous-Alexander following the conclusion of Game 2.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) fight for a rebound in the fourth quarter during game one of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) fight for a rebound in the fourth quarter during game one of the Western Conference Finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
Malone feeds popular narrative about Gilgeous-Alexander
The Thunder took down the Timberwolves in a decisive 118-103 Game 2 victory. The win featured a strong performance from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder superstar dropped 38 points, eight assists, and three steals.
Another key metric that many will pay attention to is, of course, free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 13-of-15 from the line in Game 2.
This sparked a particular choice of words from Malone in the postgame interview on ESPN.
"He is a foul artist," the former Nuggets coach told viewers at home.
In all fairness to Malone, the tone of his response did not imply this was meant in a demeaning way. However, the message reinforces the vast majority of the Twitter narratives all the same.
The Thunder should be no strangers to people complaining about the officiating by now. Malone did not necessarily have that intent, but that may be the outcome for others listening as a result.