The two were fired with less than a week left in the NBA regular season, which concluded on Sunday. However, Kroenke said that the plan to fire them had already been underway for months.
"So, what would be crazier, me doing what I did last week or doing it on an eight-game winning streak?" Kroenke asked rhetorically when discussing how the plan to fire both was considered heading into the NBA All-Star break when the Nuggets were riding an eight-game win streak.
"I think that those eight games masked a trend that was going on behind closed doors that ultimately started to really affect the end of our season."
The vice chairman admitted during the press conference that he even considered firing both of them around Thanksgiving when the Nuggets posted a 9-7 record and had lost four of their last six games.
"I was really feeling like things weren't headed in the right direction."
For those who may not be familiar, the Kroenke family owns both the Nuggets and Arsenal. And on the same day Malone and Booth were fired, Arsenal just happened to be playing a Champions League match against Real Madrid, which they won 3-0.
"I had the worst morning that I’ve had in over 10 years with the Nuggets followed by the most amazing afternoon I could have ever asked for with the Arsenal Football Club,” Kroenke said. “We beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. On a human level, that was a rough Tuesday for me. It was all over the place.”
A lot of speculation was tossed around whether or not Nuggets star Nikola Jokic played a role in the firings.
He was asked by the media shortly after the firings, saying that he knew before they were announced but he didn't elaborate any further.
"I’d be the dumbest guy in basketball if I wasn’t asking (Jokic) for his opinion on certain things," said Kroenke.
After the two were fired, the Nuggets went on a three-game winning streak to end the regular season - clinching the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
Interim head coach David Adelman said, “You play the people that are playing well (...) We’re good. We’re gonna play the guys to win the game.”
The Nuggets will face the Los Angeles Clippers for Game 1 on April 19th.