Last season was a dream year for the Denver Nuggets. Although they had their doubters for a good portion of the regular season, they finished with the best record in the Western Conference and powered through the postseason to win their first NBA championship.
Along the way, they swept the born-again Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. Even as Denver was being overwhelmingly picked to win it all, its head coach, Michael Malone, kept going off on the media for what he perceived as disrespect and a disproportionate amount of focus on the Lakers.
Buy Lakers TicketsMalone was very peacocky during the Nuggets’ championship parade, which apparently ruffled the feathers of a few Lakers players. Austin Reaves was one player who responded as training camp opened this week (h/t Lakers Daily).
Have the Lakers heard the Nuggets chirping since they won the championship? Austin Reaves: “I think everybody knows it was pointed at us” pic.twitter.com/PAHrwekZlx
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 3, 2023
“I think everybody knows it was pointed at us,” Reaves said. “They can do it indirectly if they want, but I think it was very obvious to the public eye. That’s why everybody was talking about it. You see stuff – me personally I try my best to stay off social media and look at all that stuff. To me, I go play every game the way – you know I’m gonna go play the first game against them. But I think it adds a little bit of motivation to go play really well.”
Anthony Davis also responded, saying he and LeBron James are motivated to get back at Denver.
Safe to say LeBron and AD are motivated to face the Nuggets after all their trash talk 😈
“It was just a lot of talking. We get it, y’all won, but me and Bron had some conversations… we can’t wait [to play them].” pic.twitter.com/qr8iZGIwll
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) October 2, 2023
Los Angeles will get its first crack at the defending world champs when it opens the regular season against them in Colorado on Oct. 24.
Michael Malone answers
Malone spent plenty of time during the early summer seemingly talking trash about the Purple and Gold, but he may have pulled back a bit with the new season starting.
This week, he actually said he has “tremendous respect” for the Lakers and their head coach Darvin Ham.
Coach Malone in response to some of the talk coming out of LA: “I don’t listen to any of that stuff, I don’t know what they’re saying.”
Says the Nuggets have tremendous respect for the Los Angeles Lakers. pic.twitter.com/sTlqY2FuMU
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) October 4, 2023
“I can’t speak for anybody in L.A.,” Malone said. “I can speak for the 17 players on our team – 18 players now – and our group. But, if they’re still worried about us, that’s on them.
“This is a new season, new challenge, and it was hell of a series against them. I know it was a 4-0 sweep, but all of those games seemed like they went down to the wire. As I said after that Game 4, we have tremendous respect for that team. I have tremendous respect for Darvin Ham as a coach and the job that he did. I don’t listen to any of that stuff. I don’t know what they’re saying. And if we’re on their minds, then I guess that’s on them.”
The Lakers, as well as several other contenders, will be improved this season, and that will pose a tremendous challenge to the Nuggets’ quest for back-to-back titles.
