Michael Malone to Join ESPN’s NBA Countdown
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Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone will become a full-time analyst on ESPN’s NBA Countdown, network president Jimmy Pitaro announced Tuesday at the Front Office Sports Tuned In Summit.
Malone, 54, shifted to television work after Denver dismissed him late last season. He appeared as a guest commentator during the 2025 playoffs, briefly stirring debate when he declared that Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “showed why he’s the MVP,” before clarifying that his own ballot would have gone to former player Nikola Jokić.
With no current head-coaching vacancies—Malone was reportedly in the mix for the Knicks job before New York hired Mike Brown—the longtime coach is extending his stay in broadcasting.
ESPN has not detailed how Malone’s arrival will reshape the NBA Countdown lineup. Malika Andrews hosted both the ABC and ESPN versions last season. The ABC crew featured Andrews alongside Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kendrick Perkins, while the ESPN panel included Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst and Tim Legler. Jefferson has since been elevated to the network’s lead game-broadcast team, suggesting Malone could fill that vacancy.
Malone brings more than two decades of bench experience to the studio. He coached one season in Sacramento and 10 in Denver, posting a 510-394 career record and guiding the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title. Earlier, he spent 13 years as an assistant with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Pelicans and Warriors.
Source: Hoops Rumors
