One man’s pain is another man’s pleasure–This rightly fits into the current situation after the Nuggets franchise fired their winningest coach in franchise history. After 10 years of being in charge and one championship in 2023, Denver felt they no longer needed the services of Mike Malone. Not only the head coach, but with less than 2 weeks to go ahead of the NBA playoffs, the team reportedly doesn’t have a secured future for superstar Nikola Jokic. The next best location for the Serbian seems to be the Lakers, which brought out the celebration from Gilbert Arenas!
In his Instagram post, the ex-warriors star added the following caption and procalimed another banner for the Purple and Gold. “When u realize @nuggets Just Gave @lakers they 18th Ring Its a Celebration #lakernation #kelseplumCigar #kingsmakerscigar #MikeMaloneSEEya.” In the video, Agent Zero donned the Lakers jacket, had a wine bottle in one hand and Kelsey Plum’s cigar in the other. He even mocked former Nuggets star and Arenas crew member Kenyon Martin.
“I can’t help when is the parade. Can we just have a parade? Kenyon, I’ll invite you, man you can ride on my boat. I’m going to have a boat in the back on the freeway. We’re going to boat water jacuzzi everything.” Martin even asked the reason for this celebration. Gilbert Arenas simply stated, “Yeah, they retired the coach.” Amidst the celebration, the 3x All-Star misspoke as the Nuggets fired Mike Malone, and there was no retirement. There is a strong reason why Arenas and the Laker nation are celebrating.
In June 2023, he was introduced at the championship parade as “the Lakers’ daddy,” a moniker he assumed after eliminating Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals. Even in the matchups, Denver’s had the upper hand for a while now. They’ve taken 14 of the last 17 meetings against LA. Not to forget a brutal run of seven straight in the playoffs. That is why Gilbert Arenas is all in on the celebration.
“@kingjames About Got damn Time we Gonna get by Denver Chip City On the way #lakernation.” But the firing of Mike Malone is not the only shakeup for the 2023 champions. Bovada has installed the Lakers as +500 favorites to become Jokic’s next team. This was right after the front office changes at the Denver Nuggets.
Will Mike Malone’s firing be the trigger for Nikola Jokic’s move?
For 10 seasons, Michael Malone was at the helm and had a (510-394) record. He also brought Denver its first-ever championship in 2023. Just a month before, the then coach criticized his players for the lack of effort as they couldn’t build a winning momentum. Currently fourth in the Western Conference, but at 47-32, they are only a half-game ahead of teams tied at fifth. Even the superstar Joker is not happy about the team’s current position.
As per The Athletic, the three-time MVP has grown tired of Denver’s shaky defense. Despite hanging near the top of the West, the Nuggets rank 20th in defensive rating. The team lost Bruce Brown Jr and, later on, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, their two best perimeter defenders. Despite the defensive issues of Mile Malone’s former team, it was Nikola Jokic who continued to perform. His average this month is 45 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. However, that did not convert into wins every time.
Let’s not forget that Malone is the only head coach that Jokic has played for during his time in the NBA. Now, assistant coach David Adelman will serve as the interim coach till the Nuggets find a solution. The Serbian is in the second year of a five-year, $276 million contract he signed with the Nuggets. His 5th year is a player option, so there is a chance that he hits the open market after just two more seasons.
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