Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone burst into tears during his pre-game media session on Tuesday after reading the names of the 10 victims of Monday’s shooting massacre in Boulder, Colorado.
Malone, speaking before the Nuggets played the Orlando Magic, opened his session by shifting the focus from basketball to the last mass shooting in the United States, which took place in the home state of the Nuggets.
“Obviously, I think we are all tired of this,” said Malone of how he and his team handled the last shooting in Colorado. “That’s an understatement. I know that for me, you get so involved in work and basketball and …”
“You know, we are judged on victories and defeats … I apologize,” added Malone, fighting back tears. “But if you take a step back and put yourself in one of these families, what do you feel?”
Malone read the names of the 10 men and women who were shot and killed on Monday – Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Rikki Olds, Tralona Bartkowiak, Source Suzanne, Teri Leiker, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters and Eric Talley. Malone gasped when he read the name of Talley, a Boulder policeman, father of seven.
This is not the first time Malone has told reporters about a shooting in Colorado. Prior to game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the NBA Western Conference semifinals in May 2019, he begged for something to change after a school shooting left a student dead at a public school in Highlands Ranch on his suburban Denver community.
Malone’s two daughters, then in high school and attending another school, went through a block that day at school. At that time, it was the second blockade in three weeks due to a gunfire threat.
“This is a game, the game I love, for which I have a passion,” said Malone, choking. “But I think of Eric Talley and his seven children … This is what I think. I am heartbroken for them and everyone else. And I hope that we, as a country, we as a state, can find a way to be better. I apologize for my emotions. “
Since the Columbine High shooting in 1999, Colorado has had several fatal shootings that have made national headlines.
“It looks like we were here,” said Malone at the beginning of his media session. “I think it is very important to turn our attention to where it should be, and that is in Boulder. Yesterday was another tragedy. Hopefully, this is 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 group, 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. “
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr also opened his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, talking about the Boulder massacre, as well as last week’s shootings in the Atlanta area that left eight people dead, most of them women of Asian descent.
Kerr addressed reporters while sitting in front of a screen that listed the names of the victims.
“Before we start, you notice the names behind me on the screen,” said Kerr ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “They are the names of the victims in Atlanta and Denver in the past two weeks in the mass shootings that we have suffered. I think it is important first of all to mention their names. These are human beings. They are people who are lost, and the thoughts of mothers and fathers. and sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who are now suffering from the loss of the people behind me is simply devastating, particularly in the wake of what is just a common occurrence in our country and an inability of our representatives and government to do anything at all. respect.
“I’m kind of speechless right now. We can’t just sit here and accept that we’re going to allow our fellow citizens to simply destroy each other with weapons of war. It’s the most disgusting thing that exists in our country. It’s ridiculous. It’s disgusting. It’s devastating. There are so many people out there who are suffering, we have to do something about it. “
ESPN’s Nick Friedell contributed to this report.