NBA Rivalry: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The emergence of a potential NBA rivalry between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers.

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This rivalry began during the previous season, when the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, leading to exchanges of witty banter between the two teams.

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Nuggets coach Mike Malone playfully jabbed at LeBron James by speculating about his retirement after the Lakers' conference finals loss.

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A memorable moment came during the championship parade when Nuggets announcer Vic Lombardi referred to Malone as the "Lakers' daddy."

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On the opening night of the new season, the Denver crowd chanted "Who's your daddy" towards the Lakers, in reference to Lombardi's comment.

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Lakers star Anthony Davis acknowledged that the rivalry and taunts from the Nuggets had been motivational for the team.

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Despite the banter, Davis and LeBron James had expressed their eagerness to respond to the Nuggets on the court.

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However, in the most recent game, the Lakers struggled to counter the Nuggets' taunts as Anthony Davis had a lackluster performance, and Nikola Jokic excelled.

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The article concludes by emphasizing that, as the reigning champions, the Lakers must respond to the taunts by achieving success on the basketball court.

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The central message is that the rivalry should be settled through on-court performance rather than verbal exchanges and chants.

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