Lakers coach Darvin Ham wants it known that Denver might’ve won their battle against LA, but they haven’t won the war.
Ham spoke up when it was mentioned that Nuggets broadcaster Vic Lombardi called Mike Malone “the Lakers’ daddy” during Denver’s championship celebrations.
“Oh, wow,” Ham said on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein and Chris Haynes.
“You’re gonna bring up Money Mike, man? The Lakers’ daddy? That’s what they call him now? The Lakers’ daddy?
“God bless his soul. This s–t ain’t over. God bless his soul.”
It’s easy to see how these comments would elicit a response from Ham, even though he kept things classy and good-natured.
However, this is a league where championships are valued above all else, and it’s widely accepted that you can talk a little sh*t when you’ve just won it all.
Unfortunately for Ham and the Lakers, they’ll have to wait almost a year for their shot at dethroning the Nuggets.
Lakers Provide Health Updates on LeBron and AD
Los Angeles Lakers and NBA fans seem to have a never-ending concern about the health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. General Manager Rob Pelinka recently provided an update about the health of it’s two superstars.
“We feel good about the offseason and the treatment that AD and LeBron are getting,” Pelinka said at halftime of the Lakers’ summer league against the Hornets on Sunday. “All the reports have been good around both those injuries, in terms of the guys being able to move past them.”
Davis suffered a stress injury in his right foot in December that forced him to miss 19 games. Once he returned to action though he remained healthy from that point until the end of the season.
LeBron also suffered an injury to his right foot that caused him to sit out for a month towards the back end of the Lakers regular season. According to James, he tore a tendon in that foot. It was clear to anybody watching Los Angeles in the playoffs that LeBron was far from 100% as he settled for jumpers rather than attacking the basket in most games. He later admitted that he may need surgery on his foot during the offseason.
After getting eliminated by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron stunningly suggested that he may retire. Since then, all signs are pointing to the King returning for his 21st season.
The Lakers were seen as having a very successful free agency as they retained Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura while also adding Gabe Vincent, Tauren Prince and Jaxson Hayes.
They got younger and surrounded LeBron and AD with complimentary pieces that will put the team in a better position to compete with the Denver Nuggets who will likely be the team to beat in the Western Conference once again.