Michael Malone wanted to make his stance on Nikola Jokic as an MVP candidate this season very clear after his comments praising Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Michael Malone stirred up a lot of controversy in the last few days. After Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Malone called Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the rightful MVP of the NBA.
Many felt this was a dig at Nikola Jokic. Malone, the former head coach of the Nuggets, had sung the praises of Jokic all season and proclaimed him the MVP.
Even George Karl took some shots back at Malone for switching up on Jokic for Gilgeous-Alexander. The speculation is that the beef between Malone and Jokic is over the latter’s involvement in the former’s firing.
But after processing all the backlash, has Malone changed his stance? Or is he doubling down on his call to back SGA?
Read More: After taking shot at Nikola Jokic, Michael Malone further rubs salt in Denver Nuggets fans’ wounds
Michael Malone clarified his recent comments about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic on NBA Today.
He admitted that if he did have a vote, he would vote for Nikola Jokic. He wanted Denver fans to know that as the backlash has been getting to him quite a bit.
“I did vote for Nikola Jokić (for MVP) this year if I had a vote. I want to make sure the people of Denver know that. Because I’m getting a lot of heat back home.”
It’s hard to tell if this was a diplomatic move from Malone or a sincere ploy to remind Nuggets fans that he doesn’t look back negatively on them.
Read More: Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon have very different responses when asked if David Adelman should stay on as Nuggets head coach
With the MVP race now finally over and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having won the award, the conversations surrounding him and Jokic can now be put to rest.
It was an exciting season watching two of the best players in the NBA go head to head for a second year in a row while playing brilliant basketball.
The conversation and discourse surrounding the MVP race became tiresome over the last month, especially when the Nuggets and Thunder battled in a seven-game series.
Now, Jokic will focus on the offseason, while the Nuggets build a roster around him. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks to lead the Thunder to their first NBA Finals since 2012.
