Malone says Vivek fired him? (split)

IfAt1st

Starter
Looking back, Malone said he wishes he had the same open communication with D'Alessandro and Ranadive that he currently shares with Connelly and Kroenke. But even then, he's not sure if he'd still be in Sacramento.


"That was a situation where I think no matter what happened, I was going to be fired," Malone said. "Your best player goes down, you're 11-13 and you're fired? Right now, [the Kings are] four games below .500 and everybody is going crazy. That's the owner, that's his prerogative."
Unless I'm reading this wrong, he said Vivek fired him.
 
Unless I'm reading this wrong, he said Vivek fired him.

You read this perfectly right. He also said it in an interview last year:
Chris Mannix: What was your daughter's team's record?

Mike Malone: I'll tell you what, we led the fourth grade league in points per game allowed. So we were a full-string team. The only rule we had on defense was that if your girl didn't have the ball, you had to be in the paint. So our paint was tight, and we shrunk the floor, and we had a very good season. But, I kid you not, that was probably the most fun I've ever had coaching. And maybe it's because I knew I wasn't going to have an owner coming down, firing me because we weren't playing a certain style of play that he wanted.

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/30/mi...manuel-mudiay-demarcus-cousins-vivek-ranadive
 
So....... if it's safe to conclude that the whole story about the late-night flight to Vegas by PDA and Mullin to convince the owner to fire Malone, was just that?
A cover story?

If so, aren't the Kings as an organization, and we fans, still in the grip of a deluded, egomaniacal moron who we can safely conclude actually thought (and may still think) all those things that he was made fun of for? (actually playing 4 on 5, pressing full-court all game long, "Jazz", Stauskas!!!!, firing Malone after the best start in a decade with no backup coaching plan, etc etc etc)

How can this organization possibly become a winner if someone that ignorant of basketball fundamentals is the owner and acting-crazy-in-charge of all the dysfunction?
 
So....... if it's safe to conclude that the whole story about the late-night flight to Vegas by PDA and Mullin to convince the owner to fire Malone, was just that?
A cover story?

If so, aren't the Kings as an organization, and we fans, still in the grip of a deluded, egomaniacal moron who we can safely conclude actually thought (and may still think) all those things that he was made fun of for? (actually playing 4 on 5, pressing full-court all game long, "Jazz", Stauskas!!!!, firing Malone after the best start in a decade with no backup coaching plan, etc etc etc)

How can this organization possibly become a winner if someone that ignorant of basketball fundamentals is the owner and acting-crazy-in-charge of all the dysfunction?

Oh good grief. Just stop... It's over. The horse is dead, the carcass has rotted away and the vultures who dined on its decaying flesh have died of old age.
 
Who cares? Vlade has the reigns now. I'm sure the other minority owners would throw a poopoo storm if Vivek messed with the team again.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Vivek has stayed out of the limelight since Vlade took over. I'm positive it's one of the conditions under which Divac agreed to come on board. Vivek Ranadive is not a stupid man. He may have been naive in the ways of the NBA, but he learned a hard lesson. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because from all appearances he has totally stepped back to allow Vlade to do his job.
 
So....... if it's safe to conclude that the whole story about the late-night flight to Vegas by PDA and Mullin to convince the owner to fire Malone, was just that?
A cover story?

If so, aren't the Kings as an organization, and we fans, still in the grip of a deluded, egomaniacal moron who we can safely conclude actually thought (and may still think) all those things that he was made fun of for? (actually playing 4 on 5, pressing full-court all game long, "Jazz", Stauskas!!!!, firing Malone after the best start in a decade with no backup coaching plan, etc etc etc)

How can this organization possibly become a winner if someone that ignorant of basketball fundamentals is the owner and acting-crazy-in-charge of all the dysfunction?

To directly answer the question, no its not. PDA was mentioned in that Malone quote too, for a reason.

You could have had PDA suggest the move, Mullin suggest the move, Vivek suggest the move and want to talk to PDA/Mullin, or want to lean on them etc. Lots of ways it could have happened. PDA manipulate or sneakily undercut Malone to make Vivek make the move...we just don't know, and it mostly does not matter. What is clear is that nobody had Malone's back there, because w were being run by a bunch of idiots.
 
Ranadive hired Malone and Ranadive fired Malone. Malone, PDA, and Mullin haven't worked here for a long time. Current concern, getting the team to play good, consistent basketball and win. Haven't kicked it yet.
 
The buck always stops with the owners in these things, but it's pretty clear that the FO was dysfunctional and PDA and Mullin had their hooks in a newbie owner who was still getting his feet wet. Vivek isn't going anywhere and it appears he's learned from his mistake so no point worrying about it, although Malone has every right to be bitter and take a cheap shot if he feels like it.
 
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