As the country mourns another senseless shooting, Michael Malone found it hard to focus on basketball.
Following the tragedy that left 10 dead after a gunman opened fire in a Boulder, Colo. grocery store on Monday, the Denver Nuggets coach took time from his pregame availability to first pay tribute to those victims.
And understandably, it was hard to hide his emotion, too.
“Before we get into tonight’s game, and to basketball, I think it’s really important that we turn our attention where it should be. And that’s back in Boulder,” Malone said ahead of the Nuggets’ game against the Toronto Raptors.
“I think I speak for everyone on our team, our travel party, that our thoughts and prayers — which is never enough — but our thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Boulder community and all the families of the 10 innocent people who were murdered yesterday.
Malone went on to name each individual who did not make it out of the grocery store that day, getting visibly emotional as he honored the victims and gave condolences to their families.
The victims, ranging from age 20 to 65, were Kevin Mahoney, Teri Leiker, Rikki Olds, Lynn Murray, Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Denny Stong, Jody Waters and Boulder police officer Eric Talley.
