Brendan Malone, father of Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and orchestrator of the vaunted Detroit Pistons defenses in the late 1980s and '90s, has died at the age of 88.
The Nuggets announced the news on Tuesday in a social media post.
"It is with tremendous sadness that we share the passing of longtime NBA coach Brendan Malone, who holds a special place amongst the organization and will be a Denver Nugget forever," the team wrote in its statement.
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 10, 2023
Earlier reports had Malone's age as seven years younger, but the NBA confirmed the age on Wednesday.
Malone served as an assistant coach in the NBA for 30 years, most notably with the Pistons from 1988 to 1995. He helped create and popularize "The Jordan Rules," a set of defensive principles that helped Detroit eliminate Chicago in the playoffs en route to two championships.
Malone had one season as an NBA head coach, the first year of the Toronto Raptors' franchise in 1995-96. He was fired after one season and a 21-61 record.
"The Toronto Raptors organization is saddened by the passing of Brendan Malone, who served as our head coach during the team's inaugural season in 1995-96, winning a special place in our history and our hearts," the Raptors said in a statement. "His contributions to the game will forever be remembered, and we offer our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues."
Malone later joined Jeff Van Gundy's staff on the New York Knicks in 1996 and helped them reach the Finals in 1999. His assistant coaching stops included Indiana, Cleveland and Orlando, as well.
Malone also briefly served as the lead assistant for his son, Michael, with the Sacramento Kings.
He was honored with the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award in July.
Reuters contributed to this story.
