Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets didn\u2019t like each other very much. At least that\u2019s how it appeared.<\/p>\n
It was surprising, considering that Nuggets head coach Michael Malone\u2019s late father Brendan briefly coached LeBron James<\/a> during his second season. Indeed, Malone himself was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005-06 to 2009-10. However, he had a lot to say about the four-time MVP after their intense Western Conference Finals matchup ended with LeBron\u2019s Lakers losing in a sweep.<\/p>\n Some of the comments seemed like mere bragging rights, like Malone being branded as the \u201cLakers Daddy\u201d during their championship parade. It must be noted that Malone didn\u2019t come up with the moniker, though he certainly didn\u2019t complain. But after the championship parade, Malone threw shots at James himself, poking fun at the revelation<\/a> the then 38-year-old was thinking about retirement.<\/p>\n The jab bothered James so much that he took to Instagram<\/a> in response, posting a caption that said in part, \u201cWave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high.\u201d<\/p>\n In a vacuum, these incidents are innocuous.<\/p>\n Yet, knowing Malone was miffed by the media attention the Lakers get, it also sounded a bit like envy. That\u2019s how the matchup with James and the Lakers became such a hot-blooded affair in the first place.<\/p>\n \u201cThe national narrative [after Game 1] was that the Lakers were fine. \u2026 No one talked about Nikola just had a historic performance. \u2026 The narrative wasn\u2019t about the Nuggets.\u201d<\/p>\n – Nuggets HC Michael Malone pic.twitter.com\/zUSjByjZMf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA TV (@NBATV) May 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nLakers, Nuggets Take Different Tone in Playoff Rematch<\/h2>\n
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