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Michael Malone is one of the NBA's longest-tenured coaches. He has coached the Denver Nuggets since 2015. Among active coaches, only future Hall of Famers Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors have been at the helm of their franchises longer than Malone.
Malone has had a successful career in Denver. In his eight-year stint, the Nuggets have gone 367-270 for a winning percentage of 57.6. He coached Denver to its first NBA Finals appearance this year, and his team holds a 2-1 lead over Spoelstra's Miami Heat.
Before joining the Nuggets, Michael Malone coached the Sacramento Kings in 2013-14. His hiring as a head coaching came after several years of being an assistant coach.
What you might not know is that Malone is not the first in the family to don an NBA coach's hat. His father, Brendan Malone, spent 30 years in the league as a coach.
Michael Malone's dad coached LeBron James
Brendan Malone's first coaching stint in the NBA was as an assistant under Hubie Brown on the New York Knicks in 1986. It was his next stint with the Detroit Pistons that first brought him into the limelight. Under Chuck Daly, Brendan Malone gained fame as a defensive specialist.
He was considered the architect of the Piston's famous strategy, the so-called Jordan Rules that were aimed at stopping Michael Jordan through any means necessary. This turned out to be crucial in the Pistons' title runs in 1989 and 1990.
After spending seven years with the Pistons as an assistant, Brendan Malone received his first opportunity as a head coach with the expansion Toronto Raptors. He was hired by none other than his former player Isiah Thomas, who had joined the franchise as its first general manager.
The Raptors slumped to the league's third worst record, finishing 21-61 in 1995-96, and Malone was promptly fired. Notably, one of those wins came against the Chicago Bulls. Handing the 72-win Bulls one of their 10 losses that season solidified Malone's reputation as the "Jordan stopper."
Despite his lofty credentials, Malone had to wait nearly nine years for his next head coaching opportunity. This came in 2004-05 while he was serving as an assistant to Paul Silas on the Cleveland Cavaliers. When Silas was fired 64 games into the regular season, Malone was named interim head coach.
Malone had the opportunity to coach LeBron James for 18 games. His record during these games was nothing to write home about. The Cavaliers went 8-10 and narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Malone was let go after the disappointing end to the season. He would later join Stan van Gundy's coaching staff where he remained from 2007-12, before returning to Detroit for a last dance with the Pistons from 2014-16.
Brendan Malone never coached a playoff game as a head coach. No one would be more happier than him regarding the success his son has had in the league. Michael Malone has certainly done a fantastic job of carrying forward his father's legacy. If the Denver Nuggets hold on to win the NBA Finals, it would only solidify their family's legacy.
Guess the Lakers players!
