Sixers’ Nick Nurse calls firings of title-winning coaches ‘a disturbing trend’

WASHINGTON — After Michael Malone’s firing by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, four of the last six NBA championship coaches have been dismissed by their teams.

“It seems like a disturbing trend. I don’t know who started that,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said with a chuckle. “But it does seem kind of strange.”

Nurse chuckled because he was the first coach to go.

As a first-year head coach for the Toronto Raptors, Nurse helped to lead them to the 2019 title. He was named NBA Coach of the Year the following season while leading the Raptors to a 53-19 record and a second-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics.

Toronto, however, went 27-45, 48-34, and 41-41 with just one postseason appearance over the next three seasons. He was fired by the Raptors on April 21, 2023.

Meanwhile, Wildwood Crest native Frank Vogel was fired by the Los Angeles Lakers on April 11, 2022, two seasons after winning the 2020 title. Then the Milwaukee Bucks dismissed Mike Budenholzer on May 4, 2023, two seasons after he led the Bucks to the 2021 championship. And in a shocking move, Denver fired Malone with four games remaining and the Nuggets in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

This move comes two seasons after Malone, one of the league’s best coaches, led Denver to the 2023 NBA title.

One would think coaches would have more leeway after leading their teams to championships.

“I don’t think leeway is what we are looking for,” Nurse said. “I think anybody is looking for that you’ve proven you can get to the ultimate goal for a team with your own team, right? The role changes sometimes, right? But as we know it’s an emotional game. It’s a pressurized, day in and day out, winning-and-losing game, right? That’s for real. You know, everybody feels it day in and day out. It’s tough.”

But Malone’s firing wasn’t this season’s lone head-scratching coaching move.

» READ MORE: Inside the year-round grind of Sixers coaches who guide young players and get new ones up to speed

On March 28, the Memphis Grizzlies unexpectedly fired Taylor Jenkins with nine games remaining in the regular season. At 47-32, the Grizzlies had the same record as the Los Angeles Clippers, Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors heading into Wednesday’s games. However, they were in seventh place after tiebreakers.

“I feel bad for both of those guys,” Nurse added. “Both of those guys are two great coaches. That’s for sure.”

The Sixers were without 10 players for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. However, Quentin Grimes was cleared to play after being listed as questionable with back soreness. They went into the contest with the league’s fifth-worst record (23-56) and a 12-game losing streak.