"We’re not satisfied with one" - Michael Malone says the Nuggets are far from over after winning first-ever title
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone outlined the goal for his team right after their maiden NBA championship victory after Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday.
The Nuggets beat the Heat 94-89 to clinch the series 4-1 and take home the title.
Coach Malone's first interview during the celebrations started with him claiming Denver is just getting started and they're already aiming at winning multiple chips.
Here's what he said (via AZ Central's Duane Rankin):
"First of all, a huge shoutout to Nuggets nation, we love you guys! Best fans in the world. All the hard work, all the sacrifice, all the dedication, all culminated with us winning a championship. But I got news for everybody out there, we're not satisfied with one, we want more!"
"WE WANT MORE!! WE WANT MORE!!"
Michael Malone after #Nuggets win 1st #NBA championship in franchise history. #NBAFinals . https://t.co/KbLfcnmIvJ
The Nuggets went on an emphatic run, starting from their Western Conference finals series against the LA Lakers. They swept LeBron James and co. and proceeded to beat the Miami Heat in the Finals in just five games. An 8-1 run to finish the job proved their mettle in the playoffs with a healthy roster.
Denver had the deepest and most well-balanced roster this season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only player aged 30 from their core, while the rest are all 28 or younger, with Nikola Jokic being the oldest. The Nuggets have several players, including Jokic, tied to long-term deals, and it's hard to imagine Denver not forming the league's newest dynasty with this group.
Coach Michael Malone may not be far from actually delivering multiple championships while being at the helm for the 2023 NBA champions.
Michael Malone cites Pat Riley's dynasty quote after Nuggets' maiden title win
Michael Malone has come a long way himself en route to his first NBA championship win as a head coach. The 51-year-old was just as responsible as the players for the team's success, and his determination and confidence were crucial.
Denver was counted out at various junctures by the media and critics, but they battled the odds with easy and scripted historic wins. Malone has gone through it all in his eight seasons as Denver's head coach.
They went from a lottery team to achieving playoff-caliber and contender status to now being the champions. The last step for them is to become a dynasty.
Here's what Michael Malone said about the team's future goals:
"Pat Riley said something many years ago. I used to have it up on my board when I was a head coach in Sacramento, and it talked about the evolution in this game. And how you go from a nobody to an upstart, you go from an upstart to a winner, and a winner to a contender, and a contender to a champion the last step after a champion is to be a dynasty."
"Last step after a champion is to be a dynasty."
Coach Malone says the Nuggets are not satisfied with winning one NBA Championship.
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There aren't many teams positioned as well as Denver in the league. The Nuggets have stayed patient with their process, which started in 2016 following the addition of Jamal Murray. This year, they finally got the pieces they needed to accomplish their goals. It could be the start of another dynasty in the NBA.