By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone broke down in tears while reading the names of the 10 victims of the mass shooting tragedy that took place in Boulder, Colorado Monday (22/3).
Malone began his opening statement in the pre-game presser of the Nuggets‘ match against the Orlando Magic by addressing the incident and saying that, “It’s important to turn the attention where it should be”. He then cited the names of the 10 murdered people: Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Rikki Olds, Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Teri Leiker, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters and police officer Eric Talley, a father of seven kids. After reading Talley’s name, Malone, himself a father of two daughters, paused to fight back his tears and emotions.
“I can’t speak for each of our players. I think we all handle things differently,” Malone later said. “Obviously, I think we’re all tired of it. That’s an understatement” In May 2019, another shooting incident occurred in a school in Colorado, claiming the life of one student and causing eight students to be injured.
“You know, you’re so caught up in job and in basketball and… we get judged on wins and losses. I apologize,” a visibly heavily emotional Malone said before pausing again. “If you take a step back and you put yourself in one of those families, what do you feel? This is a game, a game I love and have a passion for, but I think about Eric Talley and his seven kids. That’s what I think about. I’m just heartbroken for them and anybody else. Hopefully we as a country and as a state, we will find a way to be better.”