Michael Malone could coach Nikola Jokic in the All-Star Game. He could also get a rare chance to train against him.
Malone and the staff at the Denver Nuggets secured their trip to Salt Lake City for All-Star Weekend. Malone will coach Team LeBron – the team drafted by LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers – in the Feb. 19 matchup.
Joe Mazzulla, Boston’s interim coach, will coach Team Giannis. the team designed by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Malone and the Nuggets’ staff were included in the All-Star journey on Wednesday night as Portland beat Memphis. That ensured Denver will have the top spot in the Western Conference when Sunday’s game ends; All-Star Coaches are based on which teams have the best records in each conference two weeks before the game.
“I say it every year and I’ve said it to our players. There are some teams that are dying for the All-Star break and can’t wait to go to Cancun,” Malone said. “No, we’re keeping an eye on the price and need to make sure we’re playing until half-time.”
If Malone was planning to go to Cancun or anywhere else during the break, he will depart from Salt Lake City.
Jokic, the Nuggets center and two-time reigning NBA MVP — and certainly a third-straight-seeker contender — is the only Denver player to start. More players can be selected for the nuggets Thursday when the NBA announces the seven Eastern Conference and Western Conference players who will be reserves.
But there’s no guarantee Malone will coach Jokic. That’s up to James and Antetokounmpo; One of them will draft Jokic, and if it’s James, he’ll be with Malone for the game.
It’s the second time Malone has had the All-Star coaching job. He coached Team LeBron over Team Giannis in the 2019 game at Charlotte, 178-164.
He is one of three coaches who made it to the All-Star Game as coach of the Nuggets. Larry Brown had the job in 1977 and George Karl had it in 2010.
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