Nuggets coach Mike Malone fires shots at Kings owner Vivek Ranadive
This is exactly what the Sacramento Kings needed: more drama.
Fortunately, these grumbles stem from outside the organization. In a radio conversation with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, former Kings head coach Mike Malone was asked an innocent question about coaching his daughter's basketball team.
Malone took the opportunity to take a swipe at his former employer, Vivek Ranadive, who also famously coached his daughter's basketball team.
Mike Malone on coaching daughter's team: "Most fun I've had...knew owner wasn't going to fire me because I wasn't playing style he wanted."
— Chris Mannix Show (@ChrisMannixShow) June 28, 2015
Malone was infamously dismissed in November following a promising start to the Kings' season. Ranadive's decision to fire Malone triggered a maelstrom of controversy, swirling mostly around DeMarcus Cousins, who was none too happy about his favorite coach's dismissal.
Under Malone, the Kings played a gritty and slow-paced game with an emphasis on defense. But that clashed with what Ranadive and management wanted. The Kings replaced Malone with George Karl, who has a long track record of running up-tempo offenses.
Of course, Karl went on to create problems of his own. Reports of his not-so-secret feud with Cousins have dominated headlines for nearly a week and the chances of a peaceful resolution seem scant.
Malone has since accepted the Denver Nuggets' head coach position, which, ironically, is where Karl used to ply his trade.