Warning to UNC fans: Michael Malone doesn't want to 'Be Like Mike'
UNC's new coach doesn't like to be called one name.
Warning to UNC fans: Michael Malone doesn't want to 'Be Like Mike' originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The North Carolina Tar Heels made a splash hire on Monday.
Michael Malone was named their next head basketball coach, replacing Hubert Davis who was fired after five season in Chapel Hill. One of the most surprising moves during this cycle comes just ahead of the National Championship Game. Malone won an NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, but was abruptly fired last year before the end of the season.
What makes this hire intriguing is Malone's track record and willingness to take a step back. He won 510 games in the league between two stops as an NBA head coach. A majority of his success came in Denver as he built a deep contender in the Western Conference.
While UNC fans who don't follow the NBA might not know much about the Tar Heels new coach, one thing to learn is his name. Malone doesn't want to "Be Like Mike," he doesn't want to be called Mike at all. It's always been Michael, and he's made that very clear, especially during an ESPN in-game interview with Cassidy Hubbarth from 2021 .