Darren McKee of Altitude Sports Radio on Nuggets Losing Game 7

Darren “D-Mac” McKee from Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 in Denver joins Dave Softy Mahler and Hugh Millen to talk about the Nuggets losing game seven last night at home, Mike Malone and his rough postgame press conference, and what comes next.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Live from the R and R FoundationSpecialist Broadcast Studio. Now back to Safie
and Dick on your Home for theHuskies and the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three
point three KJR FM. How hardis it just to absorb a loss like
this after going ahead by twenty Nextquestion, Man, the season's over.

(00:23):
That's plus hard being up money,season's over. You don't understand that the
season's over. It's hard. Stupidask questions. You know what I would
have said when Michael Malone said youdon't understand the season's over, I would
have said, God, really,I thought it was Game five. Wow,
the season's over. I had noidea. Hey, let's go to

(00:45):
Denver joining us right now with theradio show. We texted our old buddy,
Kevin Shockey, who's now the programdirector of Altitude Sports in Denver,
and said, give us your bestguy, your best nugget guy to jump
on the air and talk bass.Come out with us. And he said,
well, my top three guys areon vacation, So how about Darren
McKee joining us right now? Thenoon to three co host in Denver,

(01:08):
d mac Darren McKee, how areyou pelle? You know that's the type
of joke that has made you alegend in the Pacific Northwest for all these
years. You know what I'm doing? Good? I was. I was
there when that, when that allthat interaction happened. If you want to
know the behind the scenes story behindthee I do. I do. Because
here's the thing. We we onlysee what social media and TNT and ESPN

(01:32):
show us. I don't see thisguy behind the scenes. I have no
idea what kind of guy Michael Maloneis when the cameras aren't running. So
you tell us, because there's aperception, Darren, that Michael Malone is
a major pain in the ass.Is that perception fair? He's the best
coach in Nuggets history. He wona championship. That's fair too. What

(01:53):
you don't know, and it's hardto pick up on you might not have
realized, is that the locker roomfor the Wolves is actually right next shares
a wall with the media room inBallerina and Denver. Wow, and guys,
I'm not talking a little loud.It was like New Year's Eve party
loud partying. So Malone comes inand he was relatively quick talking to his

(02:16):
troops before he came into the packmedia room. I'm telling you, guys,
it was loud. And so he'ssitting there while this party's going on
next door, and right off thebat you realize, ah, man,
that's not great. In fact,I wouldn't have blame him, and he
said, you know what, guys, I'll be back in a few minutes.

(02:36):
It was that loud. Okay.So Bennett Dorondo from the Denver Post,
who's the beat writer, meaning he'sthere all the time, actually asked
a series of three questions, andthe interaction that's being picked up by everyone
was actually the third of the threequestions. That's why Malone says questions.
But in all fairness to Bennett,somebody had a fall on the sword about

(03:00):
blowing a twenty point lead. Itnever happened in a game seven where a
team was up by more than eleven, nevermind twenty, and had lost to
game seven. So listen, man, it's I think Bennett's did a fine
job asking a question. I thinkMalone was just emotional as he should be.
And frankly, Malone mellowed out therest of the you know, the

(03:21):
nine minute press conference, you know, and gave different answers. That was
just really upfront. You can hearthe Wold celebrating. It just all was
like a bunch. So for Maloneto get castigated as some sort of jerk
or you know, something like that, is frankly unfair. Would he take
it back and do it differently nexttime, probably, But to think that

(03:45):
he's like a bad dude because ofthat moment, I think is ridiculous.
Well, I'll give you my take. First of all, that's what happens
in losing locker rooms. The otherteam is celebrating. You hear him.
It sucks as part of your professionalismto deal with the media. I mean
it's true for the players, it'smore true for the coach to be able
to handle himself with some dignity insome class, I thought he sounded like

(04:09):
a complete jerk. Now you mentionedthat was the third of three questions,
as if, as if that shadescontacts and if it is, I'm all
ears. I'd love to hear howhow that can be excused. So,
in my opinion, that was justa bad look for mc michael in all
respects, and he's got to bebetter. And I thought it was an

(04:32):
eminently fair question at the at aneminently fair time so I'm I'm completely whatever
castigating. I'm putting me in thatcrowd. So now respond to my opinion.
Well, I mean, you're fairto have your own opinion. But
if Bennett who asked the question wasn'toffended, I'm not sure why you would
be. But okay, I'm notoffended. I just think he sounds like

(04:55):
a complete jerk. Fine, well, you're again you're entitled to your opinion
on it. I think it wasn'ta great moment, and like I said,
I think he would not do itagain. So I share similar sentiments.
But I'll just tell you flat out, the reporter that asked the question
wasn't bothered by it whatsoever, norwere any of us that sort of have

(05:15):
been around this team day in dayout. I think the moment of man,
listen, it's brutal, these likewe're gonna go talk to the media
after having your heartbroken moment. Yeah. Sure, it can draw a you
know, a storyline, and yougotta ask the question. You gotta ask
it. But I'm gonna give,seriously, any coach or athlete grace in

(05:36):
the moment if he were to dothis next week or when you have some
time to think about it or franklyfive minutes later, which he didn't do.
I mean that was the first oflike a nine minute press conference where
he was fine if I mean,I don't know why you would go and
bother listening to the rest of it. But for all of us that were
there, it was like, firstof all, when he mumbled what he

(06:00):
said about you know, stupid askquestions, I'm sitting in the fourth Rowe
guys, fourth row, and Ididn't hear him say it. I didn't
realize he even said it until youknow, I'm recording it whatever, until
I went back and oh, Iwas like, oh wow, I did
not even realize it. That's howlow was said. So I don't think
it was a defining moment. Idon't if you think it was, you

(06:20):
know whatever, you think, fine, I mean, you're well entitled to
your opinion, but it really isn'tthat big of a deal. I don't
think I don't think it is.Darren, let me just add this,
and Darren McKee demac with us fromAltitude Sports is with us on the radio
station. I could see if wewere looking at what happened last night in

(06:41):
a vacuum saying hey, give theguy a break, they're emotional, the
t Wolves are celebrating. They blewa twenty point lead. Obviously he's pissed.
He might be humiliated and embarrassed thewhole thing. But isn't this just
another thing to put on the listof reasons why the perception about Michael Malone
is what it is, the wholeMichael Mike thing, going out on the

(07:02):
court in the Lakers series, gettinginto it with a fan in the te
Wolve series, behind the bench.This is not the first time that Michael
Malone has done something that's turned peopleoff. That's number one and number two,
just to back up your perspective whatyou said, Hey, he's the
best coach in the NBA. Sowhat I agree with that because we had
a guy in Seattle that you hadin Denver named George carl who when he

(07:24):
when he was with us, hewas a major paint in the ass,
but he was a phenomenal coach.So if you're telling me you can get
this guy who's gonna rub people thewrong way, but he's gonna win.
Like Matt, I would say,sign me up. Where do I sign?
So address the first part of that. Go ahead, Well, first
of all, George is a goodbuddy of mine. I love that too,

(07:44):
George too, Me too. Boy. If you've been following the George
Carl Carmelo, Anthony j R.Smith tweer piece, that is high level
entertainment by the way time. Butthat being said, uh, I don't
know, man, Like we wedid talk about this on my the radio
show that I'm on, Like,hey, man, do you want to

(08:07):
you know, uh, you know, have your feathers popping like a peacock
and listen. The Nuggets had somemoments, didn't they after they won a
championship. I you know, Iget it. I thought we enjoyed it
here in Denver. But do youalready have kind of a media sort of
fan base that really didn't want theNuggets to succeed. I mean, Nick's

(08:30):
losing, Kendrick Perkins, do youthink he wants the Nuggets to win?
Steven A. Smith? You thinkhe's root for it? Do you have
to understand from you know, sortof a moment of last year for people
here in Denver. We felt thatpeople weren't pulling for the Nuggets or Yokic.
We got it, you know.So when when the Nuggets won,
there was a lot of up yoursto everybody else. I get it.

(08:56):
So I guess you know, whatcomes around goes around, pose you know,
And I understand that as well.And if you have that perception as
like, ah, look at youknow, there you go Denver, up
yours? Take that. I meanI get where that's coming from too.
Just understand how much was going againstthe Nuggets in the other direction before they

(09:18):
won last year. I just keepthat in mind. Well, and and
you left out Shack. I'm sureShack is giggling and the whole controversy his
comments. Obviously, Shannon Sharp issomewhat of a of a you know,
a native Denver, right, Isuppose what what what's the fallout from that

(09:39):
exchange? And what were what wereyour listeners? What was the general tenor
in in Denver about Shaq versus ShannonSharp? Well, Shannon's in the trub.
Well, we love Shannon Sharp becausehe's a Hall of Fame tight end
for the Broncos. But he's aLakers fan, and you know, the
Nuggets as a don't recently own theLakers. I mean, there's just no

(10:03):
doubt about that. So it's weloved Shannon though, that's that's fine,
Shaq. Shaq. I don't knowwhat Shaq was trying to do, Like
he was like like a bully onthe playground, Like who what were you
trying to prove to anybody? Here? You are announcing the MVP and you
got to crap all over Yokish tohis face. Why, I mean,
nobody was asking you to do it. You're definitely entitled to your opinion.

(10:24):
But you want to talk about aclassless move, you're gonna have Yoka Sean
to celebrate. Hey man, I'msorry, Shaq, you only got one
MVP overall, although you got finalsMVPs. But the fact that Shaquille O'Neill
joins Moses Malone, Bill Russell,Will Chamberlain on this and somebody else.
But see like the best of thebig men for MVPs, and that's a

(10:46):
category you're not in, Shaq.Now listen, Shaq's got more rings,
ain't no doubt about it. Butwhy would you bring somebody on as a
guest to your show and take acrap on them the second they get on?
I mean, why don't you justask how does it feel? What
does it mean for your family?What does it mean for your country.
You know, I get it.They're pretty standard type of questions. But
it's a layup, guys. Imean, you don't blow that one.

(11:07):
And in terms of telling everybody whatyou really think about SCA dude, you
don't have more time on your showto do that. At some other point,
aside from the moment when you haveYokishan, who he didn't ask for
your opinion, He barely wants theattention. Guys, Seriously, that is
not a joke, That is notphony. That is not how that guy
rolled. He has to twist hisarm to come on down there to get

(11:31):
it. Anyways, And your firstquestion is I like SGA and you're down
to nothing. What do you think? I mean, give me a break.
I mean, it was just abad broadcasting moment, never mind a
human moment. Yeah, I thinkit would have been better if it was
a week later, kind of injest. Hey, I voted for the
other guy whatever, but the timingwas weird. I totally agree with that.
And you're right about Joker. Hecomes across as a great dude,

(11:52):
first class guy, no doubt aboutit. But let me ask you this
man before you go. Darren McKeeDeemack. You guys had dreams, as
I would have, of repeating asNBA champions. Number one reason why the
Nuggets did not do that is whatthey couldn't hit open jump shots. And
that fall sadly because I like himon Michael Porter Junior, who's got this

(12:13):
crazy shooting ability, but you can'tgo three for twelve, one for six
from three when they need, youknow, they need more out of you.
He's not a great defensive player,although he had seven rebounds and he's
working on it. But you gotto see this guy shoot just in general,
and you just you got to hitopen jump shots. And the guy
that's got to hit open jump shotsis a mass level contract player, which

(12:37):
he is. It's guys, I'mnot lying. It's really sadly as simple
as that. Defensively, you keptthe Wolves in ninety eight points. I
mean, come on, man,I mean you're you're in Denver, which
was practically impossible for road teams towin in this year. You got to
hit open shots. I wish itwas more complicated than that, but it's
not. You missed open shots,you lose. Darren McKee, d Mack,

(12:58):
you're the best appreciate this tell shaky, we appreciate the tip. You
live up to everything he said.He said you were gonna be great on
the air, and you were phenomenal. So great stuff and we'll talk down
the road, buddy. All right, you got it week one baby,
Broncos Hawks done. Oh god,we both got rid of Russ. How

(13:18):
great is that? Hey? Bythe way, give us just thirty seconds
on that on just the carnage leftbehind from Russell Wilson. Why didn't you
warn us? We did? Areyou kidding me? Are you kidding me?
We did warn you. We wenton every one of your shows and
we told you about this guy,and none of you people wanted to listen
to us. We all told whydidn't we listen? Unreal? All right,

(13:43):
dude, hey, we'll talk soon. Man. Appreciate it, pal,
you bet that's right, Darren McKeed mack from Altitude Sports. And
by the way, what I meanwe told them. We did tell them
everything we knew about Russell. Wetold them on Denver Talk radio, and
all of them, to a mansaid, they're just jilted. They're just
pissed off that Russell Wilson's no longerthere and they can't even think clearly anymore.

(14:05):
And now they're all saying the samethings that we did. We're gonna
break, come back more with you