ORLANDO, Fla. — Open gym environments in the weeks after the Nuggets’ first NBA championship often involved an energetic 51-year-old man, as one veteran player remembers it.
“His work ethic stood out,” said Reggie Jackson, a newcomer during 2022-23 who was still getting acquainted with Michael Malone’s personality and coaching style as the offseason began. “Being the head coach of a team that won the championship and being back in the gym immediately, not only just watching guys but actually rebounding and passing, defending.”
Malone’s contract extension as head coach of the Denver Nuggets was officially announced Tuesday, while the team was in the middle of a five-game road trip that has required a great deal of film work by Malone and the coaching staff.