On Thursday morning, the Denver Nuggets hosted their championship parade after stamping the franchise’s first ever title by dispatching the Miami Heat in five games earlier this week. Shortly after the Nuggets won on Monday night, head coach Michael Malone made clear he and his team were not content with a singular championship and want to bring more titles to Denver. During Thursday’s parade, he reinforced that sentiment and took it a step further.
“What a great day to celebrate a championship, but we’re not done yet,” Malone said. “We’re some greedy bastards, baby. We’re getting another one!”
Michael Malone: “What a great day to celebrate a championship, but we’re not done yet. We some greedy bastards, baby. We’re getting another one!” pic.twitter.com/L540rfqHmC
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 15, 2023
The Nuggets waited 47 years for their first championship. Malone spent eight years in Denver before reaching the mountaintop and was an NBA assistant or head coach elsewhere from 2001-2013. None of the prior pitstops produced a title either. But he seems confident about this group’s chances to repeat at some point.
Winning once is incredibly hard, let alone forming a dynasty. These Nuggets are as well positioned as anyone around the league to do so, though, with the majority of their core locked up long-term and currently on the come up or amid their prime. Maybe, a year from now, we’ll be referencing this quote from Malone as a prophecy rather than hopeful proclamation it stands as right now.