Nuggets train Michael Malone spends emotional memorial to sufferers of Master Sooper's shooting

Take a look at this piece by Mike Singer from The Denver Post discussing several important points this week. Mike Singer recently published the article and I decided it was a great post for posting on this website.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone paid tribute to the 10 victims in Monday’s shooting in Boulder in an emotional and powerful moment before Tuesday’s game in Orlando.

“It seems like we’ve been here before,” Malone began. “ … Yesterday was another tragedy, hopefully it’s something that we can find a way to prevent from happening in the future. I think I speak for everyone on our team, our travel party, that our thoughts and prayers – which is never enough – but our thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Boulder community and all the families of the 10 innocent people who were murdered yesterday.

“Rikki Olds… Denny Stong … Neven Stanisic … Tralona Bartkowiak … Suzanne Fountain … Teri Leiker … Kevin Mahoney … Lynn Murray … Jody Waters … and police officer Eric Talley, father of seven kids.”

Michael Malone paying tribute to the 10 victims of yesterday’s shooting. https://t.co/UDYdTTS368 pic.twitter.com/6wJrrIoAWm

— Mike Singer (@msinger) March 23, 2021

It’s the second time in three seasons that Malone has dedicated a news conference to a shooting in Colorado. He spoke eloquently, and demanded change, before a playoff game in 2019 after the STEM school shooting in Highlands Ranch.

Between tears, Malone spoke Tuesday about keeping basketball in perspective when tragedy strikes.

“I think we’re all tired of it,” he said, when asked how he processed Monday’s shooting. “That’s an understatement. I know, for me, you get so caught up in the job, and basketball. … We get judged on wins and losses. … I apologize. … We get judged on wins and losses, but if you take a step back, and you put yourself in one of those families, what do you feel? This is a game. It’s a game I love. I have a passion for, but I think about Eric Talley and his seven kids. That’s what I think about. I’m just heartbroken for them and everybody else. Hopefully we as a country, we as a state can find a way to be better.”