Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone opened up on why his team’s attitude is causing them to struggle against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Dwyane Wade spoke about how championships can make or break legacies. Wade noted that if the NBA’s history were a 30-floor hotel with a championship granting you access, he wouldn’t be allowed on the top floor. He then noted that a championship doesn’t define you as a great player, but great players must give up on their numbers to find championship success.
“There’s going to be a lot of arguments about ‘Oh, he’s better because he’s got more points, I like his game better. Oh, he’s better because he won more rings.’ This conversation never goes anywhere. Let’s use a hotel [as a metaphor]. 30 floors. We’re talking about an access key.”
“When I look at who has an access key to get to the 30th floor, I can’t go to 30. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan are up there. I may be on floor 25. But I ain’t on floor 30. That just means I don’t have access to go to that floor.”
“If you have not won a ring, it doesn’t mean you’re not colder than somebody who’s won a ring; you just don’t have access to the ring floors. Winning a ring? It’s a whole different game than being a great player and having stats… The sacrifice – I can have more stats if I didn’t care about winning a ring…
Wade seems to be making a larger point about how legacies are looked at in the NBA. Unlike many other veterans, Dwyane doesn’t subscribe to the philosophy that attributes success to just championship rings. However, the point he’s making is that championships just allow you to be remembered in a different way.
Dwyane Wade did note that his numbers in the NBA would have been so much better had he focused on his statistics rather than winning the NBA championship. Wade certainly didn’t have bad numbers during his career. But given that two of his NBA titles came playing as the second option behind LeBron James, there is some credence to what he is saying.
Wade averaged 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field, 29.3% from beyond the arc, and 76.5% from the free-throw line. He was able to win three NBA championships, one Finals MVP, 13 All-Star nominations, eight All-NBA nominations, three All-Defensive teams, and an NBA scoring title.
There is no denying that Wade is one of the greatest players of all time. Many consider him to be the third best shooting guard of all time behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. And given his resume, it’s hard to argue against that. Not to mention how important Wade was to the legacy of some legendary players like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. D-Wade will always be remembered as one of the true all-time greats.
The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves seem to have created a rivalry in recent seasons, stretching back to their first-round clash in the 2023 Playoffs. The Nuggets easily beat Minnesota en route to their franchise’s first title before the Wolves got their revenge in 2024 by eliminating the Nuggets in the second round by making a road comeback.
Since the 2023 Playoff matchup, the record when these teams face each other (reg. season) edges 5-2 in Minnesota’s favor. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone made it clear that Minny’s energy for matchups against the Nuggets is markedly different and something his squad needs to be able to match.
“I think they’ve approached this game like it’s a rivalry, and I think we’ve approached these games like it’s just another game sometimes.”
“We just gotta play harder, whether it’s a rivalry or not,” said Malone. “I don’t care who you’re playing. If you’re playing St. Buzzies and they beat you five times in a row, sometimes your pride’s gotta kick in.”
The Timberwolves have won the last three matchups between them and the Nuggets. Denver’s latest loss came in March 2025 when the Wolves picked up a comfortable 20-point win. This was to follow up on a 133-104 thrashing Minnesota had already handed Denver earlier in the season. Even their first matchup of the season was won by the Timberwolves, although it was a close 119-116 win.
The teams will match up for the final time in the regular season tomorrow, with the Nuggets aiming to avoid a season sweep to the franchise that ended their hopes of defending their NBA title.
Denver has a 47-28 record this season, still battling for the No. 2 seed in the West. Unfortunately, they’re trailing the No. 2 seed by two games, so wins over teams like the Timberwolves will go a long way in re-establishing their status as contenders.
Minnesota has a 43-32 record this season, battling to secure a top-six seed in the West. They’re currently the No. 7 seed but are closely surrounded by competitive franchises like the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors. They need to keep winning to ensure they don’t lose No. 6 to either California-based team.
Both stars on either team will be expected to show up, as they have in the past. Anthony Edwards has averaged 22.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 18 games against the Nuggets in the regular season, meanwhile, Nikola Jokic has averaged 22.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 37 games against the Wolves.