"Handle failure like a man" - Richard Jefferson takes a dig at Michael Malone's 'stupid a** question' outburst 

Richard Jefferson wasn't a fan of Michael Malone's explosive post-game interview after the Denver Nuggets' 98-90 Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Malone went off at a reporter, saying he asked "stupid a**" questions after venting his frustration of losing despite a 20-point lead in such a crucial game.

"The seasons over," Malone said. "That’s what’s hard. Fu*k being up by 20…Stupid a** questions."

Malone faced flak from all over the NBA world, including Jefferson, for his reaction.

"Look, it's hard to do, but I was always taught handle success like a gentleman and handle failure like a man," Jefferson said. "Look, you've just lost Game 7, you're supposed to be frustrated, but they're not stupid a** questions."

Jefferson wasn't a fan of the disparity between Malone's behavior after last year's win and the frustration after the losses. He cited Malone talking about keeping receipts after the Game 2 loss, offering compliments for his ability to rally his players but not coping well when things aren't smooth.

Jefferson batted for the reporters, saying that those questions were "legitimate," contrary to what Malone thought. They were regarding the team's and the 2023 championship-winning coach's state after giving up a 20-point lead in a high-stakes clash that ended their season.

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Michael Malone remained defiant in defeat

Michael Malone didn't take the loss well but remained confident about his team's chances of bouncing back next season. He cited multiple reasons why the Nuggets couldn't defend their crown, saying that the team was more tired after playing into June last year and not having much time to rest towards the regular season's end in 2024 after battling for the top seed on the final day.

However, he cited the situation as a "momentary delay."

“This is just a momentarily delay," Malone said. "Failure is not fatal, we'll be back. Better team won. Not taking anything from Minnesota. We played until June last year. We had to play main guys through Game 82 to secure (a high) seed. I think emotionally and physically, guys are gassed."

The Nuggets were widely believed to repeat as champions and cement themselves as one of the NBA's newest dynasties. However, the second-round exit put that status in jeopardy.

Michael Malone didn't give into that notion, though. Malone cited the Spurs and considered them a dynasty in the Tim Duncan era despite not winning back-to-back championships.

"I consider the San Antonio Spurs a dynasty. And they never went back-to-back," Malone said.

Michael Malone came off confident in his belief, and rightfully so. The Nuggets remain one of the NBA's powerhouses because of their apt roster construction suited for today's league. They have a three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic and a playoff riser in Jamal Murray, with pieces that fit around them.

The Nuggets need improvement in their second unit, and with a longer offseason ahead, they can make the necessary moves to improve the team.