Before, during and after the NBA Finals, the Nuggets have continued talking about the Lakers despite the Lakers never mentioning them.
The Nuggets were the better side than the Lakers in the playoffs this year. They were the best team in the league. No one is arguing that, particularly no one in purple and gold. The nature with which Denver won in the Western Conference Finals via a sweep pretty much erased any doubt about who deserved to be in the Finals.
The Lakers acknowledged that, accepted the loss and moved onto their offseason. The Nuggets moved onto the NBA Finals, won a title and…kept talking about the Lakers.
Throughout the Finals and into their parade on Thursday, the Nuggets have repeatedly brought up the Lakers. The most egregious example of it came as head coach Michael Malone was introduced as, and we’re not joking, the “Lakers daddy” at the parade.
“He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers daddy!”@VicLombardi while talking about Michael Malone at the Nuggets championship rally pic.twitter.com/h28iR5kLHq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 15, 2023
That moment came on the same day that Malone went on Pat McAfee’s show and had a joke for the Lakers and LeBron.
“Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know, this is breaking news: I’m thinking about retiring.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone trolls LeBron James’ retirement rumor after winning NBA championship
(via @PatMcAfeeShow)pic.twitter.com/vmIW6SXGKE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 15, 2023
And the shirt Malone is wearing at the parade? That came from a quote Malone said after Game 1 against the Lakers when he was gaslighting everyone into thinking the Nuggets weren’t the favorites.
Mike Malone’s shirt at the Nuggets championship parade
Bringing back his quote from the Lakers series
(via @nuggets) pic.twitter.com/6jfULdMygD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2023
Before the Finals even started and with the Lakers in the rearview mirror, he was still talking about them.
“If anybody is still talking about the Lakers in the NBA Finals, that’s on them. They’ve gone fishing. We’re still playing.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone on the narratives that formed in the WCF & whether that will continue in the NBA Finals ️pic.twitter.com/JmcNJFelvz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 26, 2023
The Lakers were very clearly on his mind, which makes this…”slip up” quite interesting in his postgame press conference following Game 4.
Michael Malone listing off the #Nuggets opponents in the 2023 playoffs…refers to the team in LA as the Clippers…LOLZ! Slip up or on purpose dig at the Lakers? pic.twitter.com/C3osfRJT7O
— JB Denver Sports (@JB_DenverSports) June 10, 2023
It’s just a very odd stance to take, but just about everything Malone did in press conferences and in front of microphones before, during and after playing the Lakers was odd. They were the clear favorites going into the series, won as they should and Malone hasn’t stopped talking about the Lakers.
What makes it more odd is that, very recently, the shoe was on the other foot and the Lakers didn’t act like this. When the Lakers eliminated Denver in the Western Conference Finals in the bubble in 2020, there was no mention of them when they moved onto the Finals. And that came when guys were stuck in a bubble and had nothing else to do.
‘What this does mean is that you can pretty much guarantee that Nuggets-Lakers is going to be the marquee Christmas Day game next season. It’s hard to consider it much of a rivalry considering the Lakers were swept, but by doing absolutely nothing since then, the Nuggets have turned them into a rivalry matchup.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.