Darvin Ham has been on an extended vacation since the Los Angeles Lakers suffered an embarrassing 4-0 sweep against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. After marvelously turning their season around and getting all the way to the West Finals, LA's season was cut unceremoniously short by Nikola Jokic and the eventual champs Denver Nuggets. Michael Malone obviously had a key role in his team's success, which has earned him the praise of fans and pundits alike.

Some folks went overboard with their high praise of the Nuggets shot-caller. So much so, that Malone has now been given the title of the “Lakers' daddy.” Darvin Ham is well aware of this slander, and he just had to address it in a recent podcast appearance:

“Oh, wow. You’re gonna bring up Money Mike, man?” Ham said, via the #thisleague UNCUT with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein. “The Lakers’ daddy? That’s what they call him now? The Lakers’ daddy?

“God bless his soul. This s**t ain’t over. God bless his soul.”

It doesn't sound like Darvin Ham has anything against Malone. The Lakers shot-caller knows that he was outcoached in the West Finals, and he has given credit where it is due. However, Ham is clearly taking note of all the savagery, and as he said, “this s**t ain't over” between the Lakers and the Nuggets.

To be fair, it wasn't Michael Malone who endowed himself with his blasphemous new monicker. However, it's not as if he's done anything to play it down. Lakers fans are also keeping all this in mind ahead of the upcoming season. I guess it would be safe to say that a new full-on rivalry is upon us.