Michael Malone must feel on top of the world. Regarded by many as snubbed for the 2023 Coach of the Year award, Malone was able to get his revenge in the best way there is, by winning a championship. One cannot say that he had the toughest road ever faced by a coach to the trophy but just like the Nuggets, Malone’s impact on the NBA is quite understated.
One team that for sure isn’t understated would be the Los Angeles Lakers. Often considered the most beloved team in the NBA, besides maybe the Boston Celtics it also helps that they have one of the greatest basketball players LeBron James playing for them. The Lakers are usually the focus of the media around the NBA due to their high market value and general interest from non-basketball watchers.
The Nuggets themselves have never been a team blessed with a high amount of media coverage. Just like their superstar Nikola Jokic the Nuggets prefer to rule from the shadows and just play a brand of no-nonsense winning basketball. However, Malone has constantly had a problem this postseason with his team not deserving their due recognition and with only the Lakers being displayed prominently in the media.
Fans react negatively to Michael Malone’s cryptic retirement thoughts
During a press conference after the Finals, Michael Malone made an interesting statement saying “Speaking of the Lakers, this is breaking news, I’m thinking about retiring.” Malone made an obvious reference to his distaste for the media for prioritizing the Lakers at all times and mocked LeBron James’ recent comments about hanging up his jersey. It’s still not clear whether he meant this statement or said it to prove his point and shock the NBA slightly.
However, it seems NBA fans don’t share the Nuggets coach’s sentiments and are rather reacting negatively to his vendetta against the Lakers. User @MarleyyBoyy says “Lakers living rent-free in his head.” Malone seems understandably irritated at his team’s situation concerning their publicity however it seems the fans on Twitter don’t seem to be in agreement.
Brother had an insane starting 5, faced injured teams, and acting like he’s the reason they won🤣🤣 nobody likes this guy
— Ashkon Bets (@AshkonBets) June 15, 2023
Be honest… do you wanna be a lakers mike? 👀💀
— Drew Keys (@realdrewkeys) June 15, 2023
He hate LeBron so much
— PlaybyPlayBark (@playbyplaybark) June 15, 2023
At the end of the day, we’re still unsure how much truth is contained in Malone’s passing remark. Maybe he really wants to go out on top, after winning his first championship and feels he has nothing left to prove. On the other hand, it seems more believable that he just wanted to make a remark to try and impress upon the media how serious he is about making sure the Nuggets receive more attention for the unbelievable achievement.