The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers started something of a rivalry after the Nuggets swept the Lakers last season in the Western Conference Finals. Then things ratcheted up a notch in Denver's opening-night win on Wednesday, with Nuggets fans chanting “Who's your daddy?” at the Lakers.
But now former Nuggets head coach George Karl, never one to shy away from sharing his opinion, took to Twitter to dismiss virtually every championship the Lakers have ever won.
“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”
Whether Karl honestly believes that or is just stirring the pot is up for debate, but Lakers fans probably don't care whether any of their championships were the result of dominant NBA icons, nor when they occurred. While it may be more satisfying for Karl to watch a team that comes together as greater than the sum of its parts to win it all, the reality is most NBA championships are won by teams that have MVPs or future Hall of Famers — including the Nuggets.
The 2020 bubble was a strange situation for all involved. There was no travel, no coming and going and no crowds. But the playoffs were played, and someone had to be left standing at the end. While it didn't have the excitement of a regular season championship and mostly seems forgotten, the Lakers deserve credit for winning it all that year.
The Nuggets next play the Lakers on February 8th in Los Angeles. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on national TV by TNT, so Karl will likely be watching.
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