The Los Angeles Lakers made it much further than any pundit expected in the 2022-23 season. After reinventing the roster at the trade deadline, the Lakers made a run all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where the team ran into Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets ended up sweeping the Lakers in a series that was more competitive than the final outcome. Denver would go on to make quick work of the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, winning the franchise’s first championship in the process.
Yet it seemed like the Nuggets were happier about beating the Lakers in the WCF instead of winning a title. Head coach Michael Malone kept throwing stray shots at the Lakers and LeBron James. The Lake Show took notice, with Anthony Davis sending a clear message to Denver ahead of the 2023-24 season.
This saga has not ended as Malone has now seemingly responded to Davis’ comments. It is unclear whether or not it is intentional, but the irony of Malone’s comments is quite rich.
Michael Malone on the Los Angeles Lakers
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 4, 2023
“If they are still worried about us, that’s on them. I have tremendous respect for the Lakers, I have tremendous respect for Darvin Ham. But if they are still worried about us, that’s on them”
Michael Malone’s ironic comments have Lakers fans heated
Malone is trying to play it coy to make it seem like Davis and Co. are the side that is desperate in this relationship. That is painfully ironic considering Malone was dubbed the “Lakers’ daddy” during the team’s championship parade.
Remind us again, who did the Nuggets play in the NBA Finals? It wasn’t the Lakers, right? The team might as well hang a banner up in the empty rafters of the Pepsi Center that says “finally beat the Lakers in a playoff series” since they seem to care so much about it.
That is not the only ironic part of Malone’s comments, though. He does realize that he is coaching the defending champions, right? Part of being the defending champions is having a target on your back. It is not just the Lake Show. Every single team in the NBA is “worried” about the Nuggets because that is the team to get through to win a title.
But yeah, let’s try to paint Los Angeles as the desperate side in this. This attempt at gaslighting by Malone is actually quite commendable.
Because of all of this talk back and forth as well as the talent on both rosters, every single time these two teams square off it is going to be much-see TV. We know one thing for certain, though, the Nuggets won’t be brought up once if the Lakers win it all and have a championship parade next June.