The Denver Nuggets shocked fans Tuesday when they announced the firings of general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone. After the Nuggets won the NBA championship, Malone got a tattoo of Maxie the Miner, one of the Nuggets' mascots. Michael Diaz, the artist who did the tattoo, hopes Malone will still look back on it with appreciation. "When people get tattooed like that, it’s more on a personal level with them," Diaz, the owner of Triple W Tattoos, said. "He brought us our first championship so it’s all in meaning for him. It wasn’t something he just decided one day I’m going to go get Maxie the Miner. He brought us a championship, and he gets to hold that with him. Gets to wear that and hopefully he still wears it proudly." Diaz said in 2023, he got a call from Nuggets assistant coach Ryan Bowen, who wanted to get a tattoo to celebrate the team's first championship win in franchise history. "He called me," Diaz remembered. "And I didn’t believe him. I said, 'No. You’re lying. I’m not in the mood for a prank call. Who is this?'" He learned quickly Bowen's call was no joke when he, another coach and Malone walked into his shop the following week. He said they all got the same tattoo of Maxie the Miner, holding a championship trophy. "In the beginning, when they first came in, yeah, nerves were crazy," Diaz said. "As soon as I go into my tattoo mode, it’s all professional from there. I’ve been tattooing long enough to not be nervous while I’m tattooing, no matter who it’s on." Diaz, a Denver sports fan, took a photo with Malone and framed his sketches he presented to the coaching staff. He said the news of Malone's firing stings. "You know, I’m a little bit salty about it," Diaz said. "The Nuggets are not having a terrible season. With the contract that he signed, you expect it to be good. Waking up to that, it was terrible. I hate to see anyone lose their job. Let alone somebody I was able to sit with and chat with a few hours you know, on a personal level. It’s upsetting for sure." More local videos here: https://bit.ly/2Pa0d1l Subscribe to NEXT: http://bit.ly/2eP1GwI Stay connected: 9NEWS Website: http://www.9news.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilike9news X: https://x.com/9NEWS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/9newsdenver/ Download the 9NEWS App: https://www.9news.com/appredirect/ Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER: https://www.9news.com/email 9NEWS (KUSA) is located in Denver, Colorado.