LeBron James is upset with Nuggets coach Michael Malone
Jun 29, 2023, 9:35 AM
Apparently, not everyone enjoyed Michael Malone’s antics during the Nuggets run to a championship. In fact, the head coach got under the skin of arguably the biggest name in sports.
According to a report in Lakers Daily, LeBron James wasn’t happy with the way Malone carried himself during the Western Conference Finals. Specifically, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer didn’t like the methods the coach used to motivate his team.
“According to Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, James is irate at Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone for whining about what he perceived as too much media focus on the Lakers and taking jabs at the four-time MVP in the process,” the article said.
Throughout the series between Denver and L.A., Malone repeatedly used press conferences to complain about the lack of attention bestowed upon his team.
Denver Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone takes a shot at the sports media who haven't been paying attention to the Nuggets after they go up 2-0 on the LA Lakers. #NBAPlayoffs #NBA #DENvsLAL #Jokic #Joker pic.twitter.com/gEYhhJg02R
— Steve Gerritsen (@stevegerritsen) May 19, 2023
Malone kept at it even after the Nuggets swept the Lakers.
Michael Malone:
"If anybody is still talking about the Lakers in the NBA Finals, that's on them. They've gone fishing. We're still playing."
(h/t @ClutchPointsApp)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 26, 2023
That didn’t seem to sit well with James.
“In conversations with people, I can tell you that LeBron was very pissed with what Michael Malone said about him,” Robinson told Lakers Daily. “From folks I have spoken with, that he is one of the many motivators going into this season.”
I guess that means James isn’t retiring after all. He hinted that he might be done with basketball during his postgame press conference following the sweep. It was a move that stole some of the spotlight from the Nuggets, something Malone also took aim at during his media circuit.
"I'm thinking about retiring" 😂😂😂
Michael Malone #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/A0SwkxufQc
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 14, 2023
A rivalry between the Nuggets and Lakers is brewing. On-court battles get it started, but off-court drama fuels the fire.
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