Months of debates and discussions about the 2024-25 MVP have boiled down to a two-man race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. It was very surprising when the NBA didn’t announce the winner during the Nuggets-Thunder Western Conference Semi-Finals. Turns out we’ll have an answer tonight.
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Having debated the outcome for months, people were running out of pointers, but former Nuggets HC Mike Malone just provided the fans with some new arsenal. Joining the ESPN broadcast for Game 1 of the Thunder-Wolves Western Conference Finals, he sided with Gilgeous-Alexander for the award. Another former Nuggets coach, George Karl, didn’t hesitate to call out Malone for his comment.
It comes as a surprise that Malone would ever choose another player above Jokic. Unfortunately, his relationship with the franchise has soured tremendously after the team unexpectedly fired him days before the NBA playoffs.
Malone was the winningest coach in franchise history and helped deliver the team’s only NBA championship in 2023. Before his firing, he was the only NBA head coach the Serbian superstar had ever played for.
His allegiance to the three-time MVP has seemingly changed along with his job title. During his time on the broadcast, Malone stamped Gilgeous-Alexander as his choice for MVP.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he’s the MVP,” Malone stated. His comments didn’t land quite well with Karl. The 2012-13 Coach of the Year with the Nuggets took to X to share a post displaying his disagreement with Malone’s statement.
“Jokic was the MVP again this season, and it wasn’t that close,” Karl said. “But I guess I’m the only former Nuggets coach who knows that.”
Karl didn’t call out Malone by his name, but his words are a slight jab at the former Nuggets coach. His public stance toward Malone’s comments speaks on behalf of a multitude of Denver fans who didn’t appreciate Malone backstabbing Jokic.
One user left a response under Karl’s post stating, “[Michael Malone] needs to learn what respect means.” Karl isn’t always on the popular side of public opinion, but one user believes this time he is. “Coach, sometimes you nail the subject matter, and this is one of those times,” one user proclaimed.
Malone’s future in coaching remains uncertain. His brief stint with ESPN could simply be to get his payback since the Thunder recently eliminated his former team from the playoffs. It’s unfortunate to see his status with former Nuggets royalty and fans diminish in the blink of an eye.
