Joe Mazzola saw Michael Malone being fired unexpectedly by the Nuggets and spoke honestly about his own Celtics future.
The NBA world is still upset from the Denver Nuggets firing Michael Malone. With just three games and a potential championship in play in the season, the Nuggets made a confused decision.
NBA fans were absolutely shocked by Malone’s firing. Even experienced NBA executives like Magic Johnson couldn’t believe Malone was being rejected.
Chris Bruthard reports that Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke has rejected both Malone and Calvin booths due to long-standing issues.
But we still don’t answer why the fire has come so close to the playoffs. Anyway, Malone’s firing teaches us everything. NBA coaches don’t have a safe coach for their role.
Read more: Josh Kroenke has a five-word message to Denver Nuggets players, that could be a Michael Malone bargain
During the press conference, Joe Mazzola answered questions about Michael Malone’s shooting and whether he would one day meet his fate.
Mazzulla pointed out that he comes in every day thinking it was his last day of work. And it serves as a motivation for him to become the best coach he can.
“I wake up every day saying this could be my last day. You have to have that perspective. It gives you gratitude. It keeps you hungry.”
“You need to have a healthy balance – you want this as much as you can, but at the same time, you can also be exchanged. That’s exactly how it works.”
“Every day, it reminds me of my mortality rate, which makes me look and appreciate the opportunities I have.”
Read more: Kendrick Perkins responds to the Denver Nuggets firing Michael Malone and Calvin Booth, and LeBron James Pointe says, “I’m actually…”
Matzra wasn’t the only coach considering firing Michael Malone. Steve Kerr also spoke about the layoff of the Nuggets’ head coach.
He noted that the NBA has evolved and several wealthy owners are paying high wages for their coaches. However, it has the drawback of having little stability in their role.
“I think it’s one of the things that happened that most teams now have billionaires, big companies owning them. So we’re all consumables. There’s a lot of money in the business right now.”
“There’s a positive and a negative to that. We’re all making bigger wages than we were five years ago, but I don’t think many owners are interested in firing the man and paying him back to leave him.”
“Again, this is the business we’ve chosen and we all love it, but it’s not the most stable occupation. That’s certainly true.”
Steve Kerr is the second-longest-lasting coach in the NBA and has been in more than a decade in the role. He sits behind Greg Popovich for the longest decorated coach in the league.
Malone lost his job as it was one of the strangest situations in the NBA after a 50-win season, not less than two years after winning the NBA Championship.