The Lakers and the Nuggets had some intense playoff battles this decade. First, the Lakers beat them in the bubble on their way to their NBA championship. Then the Nuggets beat them in back-to-back seasons, including in 2023 when they won it all.
Throughout these matchups, Denver consistently threw proverbial rocks and hid their hands regarding their disdain for Los Angeles and how much they relished beating them.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone would brag, calling himself the “Lakers Daddy,” then
wonder why people were still talking about the Lakers.
Now, years removed from those contests, and key parts of that Nuggets team gone, we have current Nets player Michael Porter Jr. bragging about cooking the Lakers on the “Glory Daze Podcast.”
Bragging about previous accomplishments on a podcast called the “Glory Daze” certainly tracks.
The Lakers live rent-free in the minds of many players around the NBA, and Porter Jr. can now officially be added to that list.
His bragging about his performances against the Lakers years later is proof that he cared about besting L.A. a bit more than he did playing against other teams.
This is no surprise to Lakers fans.
Even in the regular season, players want to play against the Lakers more than other teams and they return from injury at a higher rate compared to other opponents.
At least, now, we have it on the record from MPJ that he loved beating the Lakers and he didn’t give a cliche like “all the games matter the same” on this podcast appearance.
To be fair, Porter Jr. did play some of his best basketball in those battles against Los Angeles.
In the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Porter Jr. averaged 15 points and shot 42.4% from 3-point range, helping the Nuggets sweep the Lakers. The following season, in the opening round of the postseason, MPJ improved, averaging 22.8 points and shooting 48.8% from deep.
So, yes, he did play well against Los Angeles in these contests.
In the end, it’s a compliment to LeBron James and the Lakers that players want to do their best against them. Los Angeles is an iconic franchise with more success than every other team in NBA history, minus the Celtics and LeBron James is in the greatest of all time conversation.
With that prestige comes jealousy and a challenge to be better than the Lakers in any situation where you are competing with them.
This isn’t the first time a member of an opposing team brags about playing well against the Lakers, and it won’t be the last.
Fans and the franchise should wear this fact like a badge of honor, but also, it’s okay to be petty and remind them who the real daddy is, even when the child wins a game here and there.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
