Is Brendan Malone related to Michael Malone? Exploring former Cavaliers coach's relationship with Nuggets coach

Tragic news surfaced this week. Brendan Malone, the former coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, passed away at 81. While Malone may not be a name that the average NBA fan knows, many fans have become aware of his connection to Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone over the past year.

The Denver Nuggets coach has continued to make a name for himself with his impressive schemes as he and his team closed in on a title. Last year, he and the Nuggets were able to do so, cementing his place in NBA history as a championship-caliber coach.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Malone family this week when a statement from the Denver Nuggets organization revealed that Brendan Malone had passed away. With the news, fans quickly looked into Brendan Malone and Michael Malone's relationship only to confirm that the two are father and son.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, the NBA community has been eager to see whether the Denver Nuggets can go back-to-back. However, the start of the season will be difficult for Michael Malone and his family.

Denver Nuggets organization pays touching tribute to Michael Malone's father, Brendan Malone

The Denver Nuggets organization broke the news announcing Brendan Malone's passing. No more details have been given. Malone had built up quite an impressive reputation around the league for his years as an assistant coach and a head coach.

On top of being a 1981 Big East tournament champion in the NCAA, Malone's NBA career saw him earn two titles as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons. Then, Malone was named the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 1995, marking his place in history.

Years later, Malone made history in another way when he helped coach LeBron James in Cleveland. With Malone touching members of the NBA community around the league, a statement from the Nugget organization reads, in part:

“Malone was a great man who left behind a great legacy in the world of basketball, but he will be remembered even more for the amazing husband, father, son and grandfather that he was and the profound impact he had on the friends, family and colleagues who were lucky enough to know him."

You can check out the statement in its entirety below:

During this troubling time, rather than discuss the upcoming NBA season, we would like to send our condolences to the Malone family. As they navigate this difficult situation, it's clear that the family has the NBA community behind them.