Michael Malone Initially Turned Down North Carolina With Focus On NBA Return
Michael Malone repeatedly declined North Carolina's overtures before agreeing to become the program's head coach, revealing Tuesday that he initially assumed the Tar Heels' contact was little more than a formality. When incoming athletic director Steve Newmark first reached out, Malone told him college basketball was not a serious consideration. He was focused on returning to the NBA following his dismissal from the Denver Nuggets and viewed the UNC inquiry as a courtesy call rather than a ge...