WEST ORANGE, NJ — For any basketball player or coach, winning an NBA title is the ultimate goal.
Seton Hall Prep alumnus Michael Malone has experienced the thrill of achieving that goal.
With Malone as their head coach, the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship in franchise history after beating the Miami Heat, 4 games to 1, in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets clinched the title on Monday, June 12, with a 94-89 victory in Denver.
Malone, a 1988 SHP graduate who played for legendary SHP head coach Bob Farrell, completed his eighth season as the Nuggets coach.
The Nuggets had the best record in the regular season in the Western Conference at 53-29, led by guard Jamal Murray and center Nikoka Jokic, who was named the Finals MVP.
Malone was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings for two seasons prior to becoming the head coach of the Nuggets. He also was an assistant coach for the New York Knicks (2001-05), Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10), New Orleans Hornets (2010-11) and Golden State Warriors (2011-13).
After SHP, Malone attended Worcester Academy in Massachusetts before attending Loyola University, in Maryland. He was an assistant college coach at Oakland University, in Michigan (1994-95), Providence College (1995-98), and Manhattan College (1999-2001).