Calvin Booth Talks About His Departure from Denver a Year Later
Calvin Booth Reflects on Denver: A Year in Review
Remember the uproar in Denver almost a year ago? What a wild rollercoaster that was! David Adelman has been doing a stellar job from the sidelines, and with the new management team of Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace, it’s easy to forget the chaos that once reigned. You know what I’m talking about—the internal drama that led to Mike Malone’s exit with just three games left in the regular season. Talk about a dramatic finale; it’s probably the latest a coach has been booted in league history!
Where Are They Now?
So, what’s up with Mike now? He’s doing his thing as an analyst over at ESPN, staying pretty tight-lipped about the whole Denver saga. On the other hand, Calvin Booth hasn’t stirred the pot much either—at least, until now. He recently had a chat with Kevin O’Connor on Yahoo Sports, opening up about his Nuggets exit, the dynamics with Malone, and the Kroenke family among other things.
The Coach and the GM: What Went Down?
When asked about Malone, Booth says he looks comfortable as a commentator. But let’s be real—this guy probably dreams of getting back on the court tomorrow! “He should be coaching. He’s a champ,” Booth claims, showing nothing but respect for someone he was rumored to have had a rocky relationship with.
No Drama Here!
Surprisingly, Booth had no spicy gossip to share about any alleged feuds. “No physical fights in public. No verbal brawls in public. Where’s the blood?” he quips in what might be the most confusing statement ever. “How many teams do you think deal with ‘friction’? This isn’t unique—this happens on every NBA team.” Sounds like Booth’s calling for a little sympathy for the drama queens of the NBA.
Giving Credit Where It’s Due
Now, when it comes to the Kroenke family, Booth has a bit more to say. He criticized what seems to be their tendency to underestimate executives like himself. “Whether it’s Mark Warkentien or Tim Connelly or Masai Ujiri, there always comes a point where they stop appreciating the executives. I might not agree with that, but who am I? They’ve succeeded, so maybe they know what they’re doing. But I made it look easy,” he adds, defending his approach.
Looking Back with Frustration
Booth emphasizes that if he hadn’t signed Bruce Brown or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, we wouldn’t have seen the impact players like Christian Braun or Peyton Watson have today. He’s clearly proud of what he did during his tenure, but he ends on a somewhat sour note, expressing frustration over his current situation: “Nobody’s knocking at my door. That’s where things go off track. If you take an honest look at my win percentage, my draft picks, and my work with Malone as a rookie GM… I just don’t get why nobody’s reaching out.”
The Legacy of Tim Connelly
Perhaps it all boils down to folks attributing most of his achievements to the legacy left by Tim Connelly. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s his somewhat proud demeanor that rubbed some people the wrong way during his command of operations.
(And hey, let’s not forget the cover photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
