After getting swept by the Denver Nuggets in last season’s Western Conference finals, the Los Angeles Lakers gained their first crack at Nikola Jokic and company in their 2023-24 season opener on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, they fell short to the Nuggets, 119-107, in what seemed a repeat of what transpired last May.
Since May, the Nuggets have been incessantly talking trash about the Purple and Gold. In particular, head coach Michael Malone has rubbed it in while whining that the media was supposedly paying more attention to the Lakers than the Nuggets, even after the conclusion of the series.
It continued on Wednesday when former Nuggets head coach George Karl threw some major shade at the Lakers. He said that in the last 15 seasons, they have exactly as many NBA championships as the Nuggets and that their 2020 bubble title doesn’t count (h/t Lakers Daily).
Lakers fans always hype their championships. But the truth is they all happened pre ABA merger and as a direct result of 4 icons (Magic, KAJ, Kobe and Shaq).
In the last 15 seasons, the Denver Nuggets have the same number of rings as the Lakers!*
*’20 bubble rings don’t count pic.twitter.com/3p0BYWVgKe
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) October 25, 2023
Actually, in the last 15 seasons, the Lakers have won two championships, other than the one they claimed in 2020. Meanwhile, Denver never won it all until last season.
Karl implying that the Lakers’ rings are worth less because many came “as a direct result of four icons” is dubious. Many believe Jokic is on his way to icon status himself, not to mention the fact that any sports franchise needs an icon to win many rings.
One has to wonder why the Nuggets remain so obsessed with the Lakers when, at least for now, they’re clearly the better team and have a world championship ring to show for it.