The Los Angeles Lakers look to bounce back after a humiliating loss in the last Western Conference Finals. They know very well that they had a great chance of winning the title last season. After all, the Denver Nuggets, who blew the LA side in the WCF, went on to win their maiden title in history. Moreover, the attack of the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray duo was too much for the LA side. However, Anthony Davis had led the side to become the strongest defense last season.
But the Lakers could not overcome the hurdle of being the top seed of the Western Conference last season. Moreover, the Lakers will meet the Nuggets for their first game of the new season. The LA side would like to crush their new rivals. But the regular season opener is still three weeks away. However, that does not stop the trash talk from happening.
These Trash Talks Are Motivational For The Lakers
Michael Malone on The Pat McAfee Show mocked LeBron James when he said that he was thinking about retirement. Malone added, “Shh…this is breaking news, don’t tell anybody.” Later, Anthony Davis told Spectrum SportsNet on Monday’s Media Day that these trash talks are motivational. Additionally, AD mentioned that, yes, the Nuggets won, but he and LBJ had talked about how they can’t wait to meet them again. On Tuesday, after the first practice of the training camp, Austin Reaves mentioned that clearly, the trash talks of the Nuggets were meant for the 17-time champions.
Moreover, Austin Reaves also agreed with AD that these trash talks work as motivation for the opener on October 24 at the Ball Arena. On the other hand, LeBron James warned his former assistant coach back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying, “Enjoy your light. But you better know that I’m the Sun.” Moreover, Darvin Ham addressed the Nuggets coach, saying, “This s**t ain’t over.” Hence, the fans can anticipate a fierce rivalry and an intense battle for the next season in the West, especially for the season opener.
Why The Nugget’s Victory Against The LA Side Was Special?
As it turns out, the Denver Nuggets had the best offense. And they made things difficult for the Miami Heat team as well in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets won the conference finals in four games. On the other hand, the NBA finals were over in five games. The Jokic-Murray duo blew the Heat away and won the final series 4-1. Since then, the Nuggets fans have been calling their coach Michael Malone “The Lakers Daddy.” Albeit Malone did not self-claim the title, he didn’t oppose the new nickname either.
Moreover, beating the Lakers in the conference finals was a dream revenge for the Nuggets. Back in 2020, when the Lakers won their 17th title in the bubble, they defeated the Nuggets in the conference finals. Hence, the way the team from Colorado claimed their first NBA title was kind of a picture-perfect story for the franchise. But this newfound success brought along a lot of trash talk as the Nuggets franchise prides itself on beating the Lakers in such a dominating fashion.
