Former Nuggets head coach George Karl shares single emoji in reaction to Michael Malone firing

DENVER — Former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl can relate to the team’s shocking dismissal of Michael Malone from the same post on Tuesday.

Malone, the franchise’s all-time coaching wins leader, was fired with just three games left in the regular season as Denver limps toward the playoffs. General Manager Calvin Booth was also let go.

Karl shared a single emoji in reaction to the news:

About an hour later, Karl weighed in with more thoughts.

"Owners used to want to see players traded, players cut or system adjustments when things are off," he wrote on X. "Now it seems easier to just fire the coach. On the other hand, if the coach wasn’t making adjustments and the GM wasn’t making moves, maybe firing both of them is the only choice."

Karl was fired as head coach back in 2013, less than a month after he was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year. The Nuggets had just won 57 games – their most in a season since the 1970s – but lost in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Karl was set to enter the final year of his contract at the time and was up for an extension. An ESPN report at the time said the Nuggets didn’t want to extend the contract and opted to part ways with him instead of negotiating the deal.

The ESPN report also cited conflict between team and coach over playing time for then-promising young center JaVale McGee as reason for the ouster.

• So, what happens next as well-liked assistant coach David Adelman takes the helm? Denver7 sports anchor Lionel Bienvenu discusses, in the video player below:

Denver Nuggets 2024-25 Schedule

• April 9: @ Sacramento Kings
• April 11: vs. Memphis Grizzlies
• April 13: @ Houston Rockets