The Denver Nuggets swept LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals on their way to the franchise’s first-ever championship.
Head Coach Michael Malone has since been involved in something of a beef with LeBron, with both taking shots at one another at times. But back in 2015, James had spoken up for Malone after he was fired by the Sacramento Kings.
“A good friend of mine got fired in Sacramento. (The Kings) didn’t know what they were doing with Mike Malone,” LeBron James said in 2015, as reported at the time by Marc J. Spears.
"A good friend of mine got fired in Sacramento. (The Kings) didn't know what they were doing with Mike Malone," – LeBron James said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 13, 2015
Mike Malone was named Head Coach of the Sacramento Kings in 2013 but failed to make any waves in his first season with the team. They finished with a 28-54 record and were one of the poorest teams in the league. The team had DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, and Rudy Gay, but none were truly good enough at the time to help them compete in a stacked Western Conference.
Malone was fired in 2014 after starting the next season with an 11-13 record, which is when LeBron tweeted in support of him. He had been an assistant coach on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010, explaining why LeBron would call him a good friend. Despite having a history like this, it seems that the relationship has now broken down quite significantly.
LeBron James Fired A Shot At Malone In The Most Cryptic Way
It can get frustrating for a team as good as the Denver Nuggets to get constantly overlooked, so it’s easy to see why Malone might have gotten a little frustrated with the way the media approached their series versus the Lakers. But there was no need to go at LeBron, and James’ response to it was subtle but savage.
“In Europe for the last past few weeks minding my business and I hear I’m on your mind that much huh??? I mean I guess I see why. But Wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever!”
The Denver Nuggets are the undisputed champions and Malone is allowed to say whatever he likes at the moment. But the NBA world can be unforgiving, and if they don’t continue to win, some of these things will be used against him again. Hopefully, he can mend his relationship with LeBron James once the dust has settled on a tense end to the season.
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