Denver Nuggets team president Josh Kroenke thinks that David Adelman has deserved the opportunity to be the team's coach on a full-time basis, dropping the word interim from his title.

On Thursday, the 44-year-old was confirmed as the team's permanent coach after leading them to the second round of the playoffs before going down in seven games against Western Conference no.1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

"Part of the thinking of making the change when we made it was to give David a chance," said Kroenke, as quoted by ESPN.

"He's grown with the group and he understands their tendencies as players. I think equally important right now ... is he knows them as people, what makes them tick.

"I think bringing in somebody from the outside – while I was very open-minded to it initially – I saw the cohesiveness of the relationships on the human side. I think that's a big factor in where we're heading with this group now and getting the most out of them."

Adelman had been the Nuggets' assistant coach for eight years prior to making the step up when Michael Malone was fired ahead of the playoffs – the latest in-season coach change by any team in NBA history.

Well deserved, DA 

David Adelman is officially our next Head Coach! pic.twitter.com/TgSTPVs4I9

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 22, 2025

"I think that there was perhaps some confusion and some doubt over the decision-making, especially the timing of it, which I completely understand," said Kroenke.

"But I am very proud of the way the group came together under some very difficult circumstances, and I am proud to say I thought we squeezed a little bit more out of the season than the direction we were heading six weeks ago."

While Nuggets star man Nikola Jokic said that it was above his pay grade to comment on the coaching situation, he did suggest that he team's lack of depth had contributed to their downfall in the playoffs.

The Nuggets have now lost double-digit leads in Game 7 of the semi-final for two years straight.

"I heard Jokic's comments loud and clear," said Kroenke. "I think I was thinking that before I heard those words come out of his mouth.

"We lean on a lot of guys for a lot of minutes in big-time moments and that has a cumulative effect. When you're playing seven-game series that can wear you down."