Brendan Malone, a former NBA head coach and father of current NBA Champion Michael Malone, passed away at the age of 81. Brendan Malone had a long and successful coaching career in the NBA, coaching for nearly 30 years. He most recently served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in 2016. His son, Michael Malone, is currently the head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Under Michael's leadership, the Nuggets won their first-ever NBA Championship in 2023, defeating the Miami Heat in a 4-1 series.
The Denver Nuggets organization expressed their sadness over Brendan's passing and stated that he will always be remembered as a Denver Nugget.
Brendan Malone's impact in the basketball world goes beyond coaching. He was described as a great man and his legacy extends to being a loving husband, father, son, and grandfather. He had a profound impact on those who knew him personally. The entire Malone family and all of Brendan's loved ones were mentioned to be in their thoughts during this difficult time. In light of Brendan Malone's passing, Michael Malone will not be present at the Nuggets' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, with assistant coach David Adelman taking charge.
The Toronto Raptors, where Brendan served as the franchise's first head coach, also expressed their condolences. Earlier this year, Brendan Malone received the Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association. Michael Malone expressed his gratitude for the recognition and credited his father's work ethic, love for the game, and passion for teaching as the foundation of his own coaching career. The passing of Brendan Malone is a loss for the basketball community, but his contributions to the game will forever be remembered.
