NBA Insiders Drop Major Revelation About Nikola Jokic's State at Denver Nuggets Amid Tensions Around Sudden Sacking of Coach Michael Malone

The Denver Nuggets left the NBA world flabbergasted by suddenly sacking head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth on Tuesday. Malone's firing came as a big surprise because he led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship and has attained the most wins in the franchise's history. The episode has birthed many assertions and rumors, on top of that some revelations have also been made.

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NBA Insiders Reveals Nikola Jokic Was 'Frustrated' With Coach Malone

NBA insiders Sam Amick and Tony Jones dwelled on why the Nuggets fired Malone, and in the process disseminated that the team's star center Nikola Jokic has become "frustrated" with Malone.

"The Nuggets' locker room was a mess, with team and league sources indicating that the franchise's most important players, including three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic, had grown frustrated and fatigued by Malone's fiery ways," Amick and Jones via Athletic.

Jokic, who has claimed the MVP award thrice while playing for the Nuggets, has spent his entire career in Denver and never hinted about wanting to leave.

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Nikola Jokic Losing Patience?

After the Nuggets' home loss to the Washington Wizards in March, rival teams reportedly learned that Nikola Jokic's frustration with the team's situation in Denver was growing, according to Amick and Jones.

"The home loss against Washington was a new low, with the tanking Wizards scoring at will in a 126-123 win that left Jokic fuming afterward," Amick and Jones wrote. "The defense, which was eighth in the league last season and top 16 in each of the previous six seasons, had fallen to 22nd at that time (it's currently 21st). At the time, league sources say, rival teams began to hear that Jokic's patience was wearing thin with the sad state of affairs."

The Nuggets won their first game in the post-Malone era on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Living up to his average, Jokic delivered yet another triple-double in the game, which resulted in 124-116 in favour of the Nuggets.