The Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling after a 125-93 Game 1 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
They can also take a little extra joy in a comment former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone made on the broadcast about the NBA MVP race. Appearing on SportsCenter after the Thunder's win, NBA title-winning head coach turned ESPN analyst Michael Malone declared Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP of the league this season.
Malone was fired near the end of the regular season after 10 seasons as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets, posting a 417-327 record and winning a title in 2023. Even with the late change, the Nuggets still advanced to the second round and gave the Thunder, who had the best record in the league during the regular season, all they could handle in a seven-game second round.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51 percent shooting from the floor on his way to leading OKC towards the top seed in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Nikola Jokić averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.8 assists per game on 57 percent shooting from the floor this season while doing his best to lift a Nuggets squad that was extremely light on depth.
While the coach has not had a credibly reported beef with the three-time MVP, there have been rumors that the coach lost the locker room with that being the primary reason why he was fired. While Gilgeous-Alexander does deserve an MVP this season, it's fair to say that Malone's public choice might mean somthing more.
Malone's beef with Nikola Jokic may be reasoning beyond MVP pick
Considering Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić are essentially neck-and-neck when it comes to MVP consideration, it's possible that Malone chose to name-drop the Thunder star as a shot at Jokić and his former team.
With the vote already decided, it's clear that Malone's vote of confidence might not influence the official MVP decision, but it could show how the head coach feels towards the organization that he used too work for.