The sudden firing of Nuggets coach Mike Malone still has the NBA universe on its toes. The move came completely out of left field and was a shock, considering Malone’s record as the winningest coach in Denver history. While it is still uncertain as to why this happened, the internet is instead looking at the good times the coach had in The Mile High City.
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Eight years ago the league’s reigning three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, had recorded his first-ever Triple Double in the NBA. The moment was a monumental one for the then 22-year-old Serbian superstar — one he planned on never forgetting. Malone assisted in the memory by presenting The Joker with the game ball afterward.
Jokic was asked about Malone’s gesture in the post-game presser — and the good fans of Reddit have dug up the tremendous answer he gave from its archives.“I hug him. I was naked and I hug him,” the 6’11” superstar stated at the time. The iconic response will now live for an eternity as one of the many great Jokic soundbites.
What’s even better is the reaction of the Redditors who are now hearing Jokic’s words for the first time. “Soul to soul bonding,” joked one person about Jokic and Malone’s relationship. “I mean, he’s European after all. It’s quite normal over there,” added a second comedian.
Eight years later, and Nikola Jokic seems to record a triple-double on every given night. He has had 133 since 2017, with 33 of those coming this season alone. He’s just 19 away from passing Oscar Robertson for second all-time and slowly creeping up on the all-time leader, Russell Westbrook. One thing is for certain: if Jokic breaks the record, the clothes are coming off.
