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NBA: 15 Harshest Coach Firings Of All Time

By Phil Watson

Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl instructs in a huddle against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl instructs in a huddle against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Nuggets Part Ways With Coach Of The Year George Karl (June 6, 2013)

With one year remaining on his contract and coming off a season in which the Denver Nuggets won an NBA franchise-record 57 games en route to winning the NBA Coach of the Year award, George Karl makes his second appearance on this list for his firing.

Karl wanted an extension, but after eight first-round exits in nine seasons—including a shocking 4-2 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2013 playoffs—Nuggets management opted to go another direction.

That completed an offseason housecleaning in Denver that included Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri bolting for the Toronto Raptors.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Denver Nuggets

Karl was 423-257 in parts of nine seasons in Denver, but just 21-38 in the playoffs. The Nuggets’ run to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 was the only time Denver advanced beyond the first round with Karl at the helm.

The Aftermath For Karl: After a stint at ESPN, Karl replaced Tyrone Corbin as coach of the Sacramento Kings, who had replaced Mike Malone as coach of the Sacramento Kings only 28 games earlier, with 30 games left in the 2014-15 season.

The Aftermath For The Nuggets: FEMA hasn’t been called in … yet. But it got ugly fast in Denver. Brian Shaw was fired in March 2015 after less than two seasons with a 56-85 record and interim coach Melvin Hunt was bypassed for the job after guiding the team to a 10-13 finish in 2014-15. Mike Malone, one of Karl’s predecessors in Sacramento, was hired last spring to take over the rebuild in the Rockies.

Next: A Title, A Sweep And A Departure