Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is working as analyst for ESPN during the NBA’s Western Conference Finals.
And he did something strange on Tuesday night.
After the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 114-88 in Game 1, Malone complimented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a big way. It came at the expense of his former superstar Nikola Jokic, who got Malone a championship ring in the summer of 2023.
Michael Malone:
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he’s the MVP.” 😬
(h/t @F0RGIAT0)pic.twitter.com/TGZjVhlv6A
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 21, 2025
“SGA” had a very good second half for the Thunder finishing with 20 points on 8-14 shooting after going 2-14 in the first half for only 11 points.
On the night, Gilgeous-Alexander ended up 31 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals to have the Thunder just three wins from the NBA Finals.
But does Michael Malone really need to do Nikola Jokic like that? The ex-Nuggets head coach wouldn’t have a title without the Serbian sensation, who has won three of the last four NBA MVPs. This year, Jokic was a monster, keeping Malone around for 79 games before he eventually got canned.
Jokic finished third in points per game during the regular season with 29.6, second in assists with 10.2 and third in rebounds with 12.7. He averaged a triple-double for the first time in his career, a remarkable achievement for any player, let alone a center. He added 1.8 steals per game and .6 blocks for good measure.
No NBA MVP has been announced yet, but it’s largely thought that Gilgeous-Alexander will win the award.
Malone owes a lot to Jokic. And this typer of behavior is a little bit bizarre. It’s one thing for Malone to be bitter at owner Josh Kroenke or former GM Calvin Booth, it’s another to take it out on Jokic.
For a guy who did pretty well in his TV debut, Michael Malone missed the mark with his take postgame.
