Nikola Jokic continues to regale fans with entertaining behind-the-scenes stories. In a clip from an interview with “X&O’s Chat” over a week ago, the Denver Nuggets center shared a never-before-heard incident that involved team governor Josh Kroenke.
Jokic told the host about what happened a few days before Kroenke fired former Nuggets coach Mike Malone:
“The owner came over to my place. … He walks in through the door, and Vucevic, I’ll throw him under the bus here, had sent me a bottle of tequila. I had just opened the box when the owner rang the bell and came in.”
The Serbian basketball superstar continued:
“At that point, I couldn’t exactly hide it; the box was huge. So I said, ‘Josh (Kroenke), look, it’s not what you think. I just got it as a gift. I’m not celebrating anything.”
Kroenke arrived unannounced to discuss Malone’s future with the team. Jokic opened up about what the Walmart heir wanted to talk about:
“‘What do you think, should we fire coach?’ The decision had basically already been made. This was about five games before the playoffs. … So when people say that I fired Malone or that I saved him, that’s nonsense. I just found out earlier than everyone else.”
Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets were in a tightly contested battle with four other teams for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference late in the 2024-25 NBA season. Five games before the playoffs, the Nuggets lost 118-104 to the Golden State Warriors. Two nights later, they went down 125-120 to the Indiana Pacers, their fourth straight defeat.
Josh Kroenke fired Mike Malone and elevated assistant David Adelman to interim head coach. The Nuggets won their last three games but finished with the No. 4 seed, a spot that proved costly in the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic Described Mike Malone’s Firing as a “Heavy Day”
The Denver Nuggets beat the Sacramento Kings 124-116 in their first game since Josh Kroenke fired Mike Malone. After the game, Nikola Jokic told reporters:
“I knew a little bit before everybody. And (Kroenke) told me, ‘We made a decision.’ … I’m not going to tell you what he told me. I’m going to keep it private. I texted (Malone). It was a 10-year relationship, so it was a heavy day for everybody, probably especially for him and his family.”
Malone guided the Nuggets to the 2023 championship. A year later, they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a seven-game thriller. Last season, with Adelman calling the shots, the Nuggets lost a seven-game series to the eventual champion OKC Thunder.
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