‘We Can’t Wait’: A timeline of the tension between Nuggets and Lakers

‘We Can’t Wait’: A Timeline of the Tension Between Nuggets and Lakers

There’s no shortage of drama when it comes to the rivalry between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers. As the two teams prepare to face off this Saturday for the first time since their heated playoff series last season, the bad blood between them is as fresh as ever. Let’s just say, this isn’t your average matchup—it’s personal.

For starters, the Nuggets have absolutely dominated the Lakers in recent years. Denver has won 12 of their last 13 meetings, including seven straight in the playoffs. That’s a streak that stings for Lakers fans, even if it’s not the longest playoff losing streak against a single team in the past two decades. But the tension between these two squads didn’t truly boil over until the 2023 Western Conference Finals, and it hasn’t cooled down since.

‘Would Rather Be Up 1-0 Than Down 0-1’

The sparks started flying in Game 1 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets edged out the Lakers 132-126, but the postgame chatter is what really set the tone for the series. The Lakers made a key adjustment in the second half, putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic, which seemed to give Los Angeles a boost. That move had Lakers fans buzzing with confidence, but Nuggets head coach Michael Malone wasn’t having it.

“Much [is being] made of them putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic,” Malone said. “Like we have never seen that before.”

Malone didn’t stop there. He mocked the idea that the Lakers had momentum heading into Game 2, saying, “There’s this kind of discussion being based [on that] even though the Lakers lost, they’re walking out of here, they think they’ve got something. I’ll bet you every red penny I have that [Lakers coach] Darvin Ham would rather be up 1-0 than down 0-1.”

‘So, You Put That in Your Pipe, You Smoke It’

By the time Game 2 rolled around, Malone was still on the offensive. He sarcastically dismissed the hype around the Lakers’ adjustment, saying, “The series is over in everybody’s mind because they put Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic for six possessions.”

Jokic, meanwhile, let his game do the talking. The two-time MVP notched 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists in Game 2, marking his 13th playoff triple-double—the third most in NBA history. But Malone felt the national media wasn’t giving Jokic or the Nuggets their due credit.

“What he’s doing is just incredible, but the narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola,” Malone said. “The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you put that in your pipe, you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re going to go up 2-0.”

‘They’ve Gone Fishing. We’re Still Playing.’

After the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Malone didn’t hold back. When asked about the possibility of the Lakers being in the NBA Finals, he quipped, “That’s on them. They’ve gone fishing. We’re still playing.”

Even after the Nuggets won their first-ever NBA championship, the Lakers were still on Malone’s mind. During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show”, Malone poked fun at LeBron James’ comments about possibly retiring, prompting James to respond on Instagram, calling himself “the SUN.”

‘This S— Ain’t Over’

The trash talk didn’t stop there. During the Nuggets’ championship parade, team TV host Vic Lombardi dubbed Malone the “Lakers’ daddy,” a title that didn’t sit well with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. On the “This League Uncut” podcast, Ham fired back, saying, “Oh, wow. You’re going to bring up Money Mike, man? The Lakers’ daddy? That’s what they call him now? The Lakers’ daddy? God bless his soul. This s— ain’t over. God bless his soul.”

‘We Can’t Wait’

Fast forward to the 2023-24 season, and the Lakers are using all the offseason chatter as fuel. Anthony Davis admitted that the Nuggets’ comments were motivational, saying, “There was just so much of that going on it was like, ‘All right, we get it, y’all won.’ But me and Bron had some conversations like, ‘We can’t wait [to play them again].’”

Austin Reaves echoed that sentiment, adding, “I think it adds a little bit of motivation to go play really well. That’s really it.”

As for Malone, he’s trying to move on. During Denver’s training camp, he downplayed the rivalry, saying, “This is a new season, a new challenge, and it was a hell of a series against them. I know it was a 4-0 sweep, but all those games seemed like they went down to the wire … But yeah, 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.”

One thing’s for sure: when the Nuggets and Lakers hit the court this Saturday, it won’t just be another game. It’s a battle for pride, respect, and maybe a little revenge.