The Saturday win over the Lakers wasn’t just about the rivalry. It was much more than that. A historic event for the Denver Nuggets franchise. Coach Michael Malone took center stage in the night, as the champion coach produced his 433rd win, the most by a Nuggets coach. Amid this setup, Nikola Jokić & his men literally showered the 53-year-old an abundance of love and respect after the win. Most importantly, the coach had an emotional moment with one of his trusted assets amid the celebration.

Keeping up the tradition, Malone visited the locker room after the win to give small talk to his men. He didn’t know, veteran big man De’Andre Jordan was hiding behind the door with an ice bucket. And, as soon as he entered the locker room, the star coach got drenched. Going with the flow, the coach went on to thank every single player in the den, but he also gave a special long hug to two players.

One was none other than the franchise leader, Nikola Jokić, and the other was Jamal Murray. In fact, Michael Malone had a long hug with the point guard, and the duo exchanged words as well. The announcer, Christopher Dempsey, who passed a running commentary on the occasion, determinedly decoded their exchange.

Dempsey said, “You can also see him taking extra moment with Jamal Murray and pulling him close because you know what he said in his ear was something to the effect of ‘I could not have made it to this point without you'”

While it may sound like Christopher Dempsey went ahead of himself with the decoding, the coach-player’s past relationship backs his claim. Malone and Murray go a long way back with their special bond.

Despite Nikola Jokić’s magnanimous presence, Malone has a special bond with Murray

Jamal Murray may seem like he has lost his form this season. But he played an influential role in the 2023 championship run. In fact, without his brilliance, Jokic wouldn’t have shouldered the trophy. Well, in that case, Malone played a huge role in instilling hope in Murray’s mind when he was almost kicked out of the franchise.

The point guard missed the entire 2021-22 season, recovering from a torn ACL. Right before the injury, Murray made a name for himself with his flawless offensive display, even fetching him the title “Bubble Murray” since he scored them during the bubble season. Following the injury, the star had an emotional moment with the coach.

Speaking at the 2023 Conference Finals, Malone reminisced about the moment when Murray got injured. He said, “I remember being in the bus with him. Going to the airport after he did the injury in Golden State next day, he had tears in his eyes and that was the message… His first thought was, ‘Are you guys going to trade me?’… ‘I’m damaged goods you guys are gonna trade me?’ I hugged him and like ‘Hell no!, You are ours. We love you. We’re gonna help you get back” Guess what? Malone’s trust didn’t go in vain, as he helped him win the first championship right after his return. Truly an emotional moment. What do you make of their bond? Let us know in the comments.