Grading the Week: Former Nuggets Coach Michael Malone Joins ESPN — Could This Mean Support for Nikola Jokic at Disney?

 

Grading the Week: Former Nuggets Coach Michael Malone Joins ESPN — Could This Mean Support for Nikola Jokic at Disney?

Don’t tell Kendrick Perkins, but Nikola Jokic may finally have an insider at Disney.

Between debates about NFL “leverage” and pondering whether the 2025 Rockies will end the year with a historic collapse, Nuggets news almost slipped past Grading the Week recently.

Michael Malone is back.

Not back on the Denver sideline, but back on national television.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro confirmed Tuesday that Malone, the Nuggets’ all-time winningest coach in both regular-season (471) and playoff games (44), will join NBA Countdown as a regular panelist during the 2025–26 season.

Full disclosure: GTW has crossed paths with Malone a handful of times over the last six years, and he’s always been solid. After testing the TV waters during ESPN’s playoff coverage last spring, it’ll be interesting to see whether he can push back against ESPN’s anti-Jokic narrative—one that voices like Perkins have fueled. Or will Malone get swept into the usual Disney storylines: LeBron, Boston, Luka, Steph… and more LeBron?

Grade: A — Malone lands a steady role at ESPN

Malone’s quick move to TV isn’t shocking. In Denver, he rarely dodged cameras, offered clear and accessible breakdowns of the game, and wasn’t afraid to share his perspective—even when it wasn’t popular. As a New Yorker, he has never lacked confidence in expressing his views or throwing a few verbal jabs, especially at Laker Nation. Nuggets fans still fondly remember his 2018 dig telling Lakers fans to “take that ‘L’ on the way out.”

But Malone also learned during the 2025 Western Conference Finals just how loud ESPN’s platform can be.

When analyzing the Thunder–Timberwolves series, he praised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by saying the guard “showed why he’s the MVP.” While intended as respect for SGA, the comment didn’t sit well with Nuggets faithful—because in Denver, Malone would never have given that nod to anyone over Jokic.

The history makes it touchy: in 2022–23, Jokic was runner-up to Joel Embiid, with SGA fifth. In 2023–24, Jokic reclaimed the MVP crown, narrowly beating out SGA. Last season, SGA edged Jokic for the award, despite Jokic posting the best numbers of his career—averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, becoming only the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double season.

Throughout his tenure, Malone consistently defended his players, especially Jokic, even as ESPN’s top voices often dismissed the Serbian superstar despite his three MVPs and two runner-up finishes in five years.

So while Malone may not completely rewrite ESPN’s Jokic narrative, the GTW team hopes he can at least sway a few opinions in Bristol, one broadcast at a time.