Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić broke his silence on the firing of former head coach Michael Malone after recording a triple-double in his team's 124-116 win against the Sacramento Kings Wednesday (April 9) night.

Jokić, 30, who recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists Wednesday night, said he was notified of the team's decision by Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and the son of team owner Stan Kroenke, prior to the news being shared publicly.

"I knew a little bit before everybody," Jokic said via ESPN. "And he told me, 'We made a decision.' So it was not a discussion. It was a decision. He told me why. And so I listened. And I accepted it. I'm not going to tell you what he told me. I'm going to keep that private."

Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, said he "texted" Malone, who served as his head coach during his entire 10-year NBA career, after his firing.

"It was a 10-year relationship, so it was heavy day for everybody, probably especially for him and his family. But I would say it's part of the business," Jokić said.

Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history with a 471-327 regular season record in 10 seasons. The coach's firing came days before the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season with the Nuggets ranked fourth in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record, but having lost four consecutive games, prior to Wednesday's win.

Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman will reportedly serve as the team's interim head coach following Malone's firing, according to Charania. Malone's reported firing is tied with the Atlanta Hawks' firing of Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown during the 1980-81 season as the latest coaching change in NBA history, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Nuggets will conclude their regular season schedule with a home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday (April 11) and a road game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday (April 13).

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