While Nuggets star Nikola Jokic would rather go home than enjoy championship festivities, others have wasted no time to bask in their newfound success. For head coach Michael Malone, he was all smiles as the Nuggets won the title, and his efforts were finally vindicated after years of work.
This week, Malone went viral once again amid championship celebrations. Sometime during the victory parade this week, team broadcaster Vic Lombardi savagely trolled the Purple and Gold by giving Malone his newest nickname: the Lakers’ daddy.
“He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers daddy!”
"He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers daddy.” 😂👀
(h/t @ClutchPointsApp)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 15, 2023
The Lakers were swept in the playoffs this year at the hands of the Nuggets. Despite strong play from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it wasn’t enough to even win a single game against the Nuggets and it was clear by the end of Game 4 in the series who was the better team.
Now that the Nuggets are champions, they have the ultimate bragging rights over LA and they haven’t been shy about speaking up. Earlier this month, for example, Malone trolled LeBron James by “announcing” his retirement after winning the title.
While it’s too early to call the Lakers and Nuggets rivals, things could get to that point if they clash in the playoffs again in the near future.
Why Are The Nuggets Taking Shots At The Lakers?
While Denver faced several teams en-route to the championship, they seem to be extra antagonistic toward the Lakers — but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. When LA was still alive in the West Finals, almost every expert picked them to advance and, even down 2-0 in the series, the narrative was that the Lakers would find a way to win.
The Nuggets proved all those experts wrong and are somehow still being underappreciated by the NBA community. Mix all of that with a retirement tease from LeBron James, and it makes sense why the Nuggets are going out of their way to troll the Purple and Gold.
They just better hope that the Lakers strike out on the big names this summer, or the Lakers may begin the path to redemption.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
