Michael Malone took a dig at LeBron James recently in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, saying he was, “thinking about retiring.” Later, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets was given the badge of “Laker’s Daddy” after leading his team to a victory against the Lakers.
This was not swallowed well by James, who posted on Instagram against such petty behavior from the HC. He went on to appeal to “make being player cool again.”
Vic Lombardi bestowed Malone with “Laker’s daddy” title
During the championship celebration festivities of the Nuggets, Malone was given a pretty lofty introduction by none other than Vic Lombardi. He stated during the parade:
“He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers’ daddy.”
This was clearly a shot fired against the defending champions, who conceded defeat to the Denver team during the playoffs. However, such jabs are usually not well-received in the sporting world, and so was the case this time around as well. The remarks were met with mixed reactions from fans, ranging from comic to serious bias.
King LeBron James fires back aiming at Nuggets HC’s pettiness
LeBron James, not a man to let go, decided to return the wrath back with an Instagram post, where he took a dig at the pettiness portrayed. The post included a bit of boasting, as the veteran basketballer called himself the “SUN.”
At the same time, he also claimed that pettiness in the game arena is, “at an all-time high,” and playing deserved more importance and impetus. James directly called the opposition “lames” and “lame machines.”
However, it might be a lesser-known fact that Malone was James’s coach back when he began his career with the Cavs. The relationship between the two greats has not always been sour, and the Denver coach once credited James (along with others) for his success.
While it is true that not all kinds of conversations are cordial on social media platforms, some things just get a bit too bitter. This might have been one of those cases where both legends lost their charm and resorted to rage instead. Although fans have varied opinions on who is correct and why, it is better to hope that they bury the hatchet soon.
What do you think about sports rivalries going personally bitter? Does it impact the quality of sports content we consume as well? Let us know in the comments.
