HomeNBAAfter being criticized by Nuggets supporters for his MVP remark, Michael Malone...

After being criticized by Nuggets supporters for his MVP remark, Michael Malone clarifies

May 24, 2025

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Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has gone into damage control mode after drawing the ire of his ex-team’s fan base.

Malone, who has transitioned into an analyst role with ESPN, made waves after Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals when he called Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “the MVP” after OKC blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Some fans felt like the veteran coach sounded bitter about the Nuggets firing him with three games left in the regular season. Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander were the top two vote-getters for the NBA MVP award, with SGA besting the Joker by a narrow margin.

Malone addressed the issue Thursday before tipoff of Thunder-Timberwolves Game 2. He clarified that Jokic was still his MVP despite Malone’s unceremonious exit from the team.

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“I did vote for Nikola Jokic [for MVP] this year, if I had a vote,” Malone said. “I want to make sure the people of Denver know that. Because I’m getting a lot of heat back home.”

In all fairness to Malone, Gilgeous-Alexander had been considered the favorite to win the award throughout the regular season. Calling SGA “the MVP” during postgame commentary does not automatically equate to Malone forgetting about Jokic — the man who led the Nuggets to a championship two seasons ago.

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Despite voter fatigue and a worse regular-season record working against him, Jokic still received 29 of the 100 first-place votes for MVP. Jokic also got Malone’s unofficial vote.