Winning an NBA championship is a huge accomplishment. However, looking at the history of coaches who have won a title in the last couple of years, it seems that winning a title is more of a curse than a blessing. Michael Malone of the Nuggets is the latest example of a coach being fired after winning a title.
Curse of Winning a Title Catches Michael Malone
Of the last coaches to win an NBA title, four have been fired a year or two after the championship. Right now, Steve Kerr is the longest-tenured championship coach. He last won a title with the Golden State Warriors in 2022. This is his third season after the title, and Kerr is still coaching the Warriors. Joe Mazzulla won a title last year with the Celtics, so he is safe for at least a year or two.
Nick Nurse lasted the longest among coaches with a title in the last 10 years. He won a title with the Raptors in 2019 and coached the team for four more years. During his five seasons with the Raptors, Nurse had a 227-163 record.
The Lakers have fired two of their successful coaches. First, they fired Frank Vogel, the coach that helped them win a title in the bubble in 2020. Then, they fired Darvin Ham, the coach who won the inaugural NBA Cup.
The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer, two years after their championship in 2021.
If we go further down in history, the most surprising move was by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After winning their only championship in 2016, they fired Ty Lue in October 2018 after a few games into the season. He led the team to the Finals in 2017 and 2018, but lost to the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant.
The Pressure Of Coaching in the NBA
Coaching in the NBA is not an easy task. It is no longer enough to win. After every season, a few coaches get fired. This year, Malone is the second coach to get fired a few games before the playoffs. Memphis fired their coach Taylor Jenkins with eight games left to play. They have been in free fall ever since.
Right now, it looks like being an NBA coach is among the highest-pressure jobs in the world. Last season, the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 record and the team being top-four in the East.
The Cavaliers fired JB Bickerstaff after last season, despite him completely turning the franchise around. To be fair, Kenny Atkinson has taken the team to a whole new level. Nevertheless, winning in the NBA is no longer enough to give coaches stability. Even those who win a championship do not last more than three seasons. Mike Brown was fired by the Sacramento Kings despite breaking their playoff drought.
Why was Michael Malone Fired by the Nuggets?
Michael Malone went 471-327 in 10 seasons with the Nuggets for a 59% winning percentage. In the playoffs, he went 44-36 for a 55% winning percentage. During their title run, Denver went 16-4, winning 80% of their games. He has coached the All-Star team two times, in 2019 and 2023.
This year, the Nuggets were fighting for a top four playoff spot under coach Malone. Speculations will continue in the coming days for exactly why the Nuggets fired their coach a few games before the playoffs.
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