One lap around the property is 1.7 miles, and you’ll find numerous executives and coaches jogging or walking the trail each morning, from Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank to Denver Nuggets brass Tim Connelly and Calvin Booth, just to name a few.
And then there’s Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who maniacally sprints the track on a road bike in the sweltering heat and humidity as if he’s participating in the Tour de France.
The 49-year-old zips through the course with blazing speed and then periodically pulls over to the side of the road and starts doing pushups at a frantic pace. His energy level is insane, but after his strenuous workouts, he’s relaxed, and that calm spreads to his team.
“Just have fun,” Nuggets star Nikola Jokic said on TV during his walkout interview after Denver’s Game 6 win over the Clippers in the second round of the playoffs. “We don’t have pressure. I think the whole pressure is on them.”