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    Nuggets' Michael Malone Calls Out Kings for Mike Brown Firing: 'No Class'

    Zach BacharContributor IDecember 28, 2024

    DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 23: Head coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets yells to players in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena on December 23, 2024, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
    Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

    Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone called out the Sacramento Kings' decision to fire head coach Mike Brown on Friday.

    "They have practice this morning, he does his post-(practice) media, and he's in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A," Malone said, via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. "And they call him on the phone. No class. No balls. That's what I'll say about that."

    Bennett Durando @BennettDurando

    Here is Michael Malone's full comment on the Sacramento Kings' firing of Mike Brown. <br><br>Malone said he was shocked at first, then realized he shouldn't be, "because who he works for. So I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person." <a href="https://t.co/DtE5Sf9QLl">pic.twitter.com/DtE5Sf9QLl</a>

    Brown was fired earlier on Friday amid the Kings' current five-game losing streak, per ESPN's Shams Charania. He was replaced by assistant coach Doug Christie in an interim role.

    Malone has some familiarity with Brown's situation, as he served as Sacramento's head coach during the 2013-14 season before he was fired during the team's 2014-15 campaign.

    "So I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person," Malone said on Friday, per Durando.

    Matt George of ABC 10 reported that Brown was let go just before the team was set to board a flight to Los Angeles. He ran a full practice and spent roughly 15 minutes talking to the media before he was fired.

    Matt George @MattGeorgeSAC

    The Sacramento Kings just fired Mike Brown right before the team boarded a flight to LA. He just ran a full practice and spent 15 minutes talking to the media.<br><br>Just bad man. Bad bad bad.

    Nuggets' Michael Malone Calls Out Kings for Mike Brown Firing: 'No Class'
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    Brown finished with a record of 107-88 in Sacramento.

    He oversaw the Kings' 2022-23 season that culminated in the team's first playoff appearance in 16 years, subsequently earning unanimous 2023 Coach of the Year honors. Sacramento narrowly missed the playoffs the following year, but still managed to finish with a 46-36 record.

    The Kings struggled to open Brown's third season with the organization, owning the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference standings at 13-18. Still, it was surprising to see Sacramento part ways with a coach that experienced two straight successful years to begin his tenure with the team.

    Malone has excelled since leaving the Kings, taking over as the Nuggets' head coach prior to the 2015-16 season. He owns a 747-440 record in Denver, helping the organization claim its first championship in 2023.