When the Denver Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone and Calvin Booth on April 8, it wasn’t a move made on impulse. 

Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts towards referee Danielle Scott (87) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In his first news conference since the firings, Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke revealed he had twice contemplated moving on from Booth and Malone this season.

“It was around Thanksgiving at some point when I was really feeling like things were not headed in a direction or up to my standards as an organization,” Kroenke told the media on Monday.

“I saw it was reported that I would sit in with meetings with Calvin and [Malone] at times, which I did. We had great meetings in those conversations, but I need more when I’m not around.”

Kroenke added he almost fired the duo at the All-Star break in February, but an eight-game winning streak gave them one more chance.

“So, what would be crazier, me doing what I did last week or doing it on an eight-game winning streak?” Kroenke said.

Booth and Malone reportedly had a tense relationship, which may have been distracting the team. In a post on his X account, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor wrote they “rarely spoke” to each other.

However, Kroenke didn’t point the finger at Malone and Booth, who helped the team win its first championship during the 2022-23 season.

“To be frank, neither of them deserved it. And for that I apologize. I need to be better at points,” Kroenke said. “Ultimately, I made the decision last week with the hope of trying to rejuvenate the group.”

Kroenke still deserves criticism for making a risky change days before the start of the playoffs. But it has seemed to give the Nuggets a spark.

Denver (50-32) won its last three regular-season games, securing the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. On Saturday, they host the Los Angeles Clippers (50-32) in Game 1 of their first-round series at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.