Lakers’ Darvin Ham Claps Back at Michael Malone, Nuggets: ‘This S--- Ain’t Over’

The Los Angeles coach apparently heard plenty of what the Nuggets and coach Michael Malone had to say this offseason.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone spent plenty of time talking about the Lakers following his team’s impressive sweep of Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals. And it appears Lakers coach Darvin Ham has spent his fair share of time listening to both his rival coach and his team.

During an interview on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast with NBA reporters Marc Stein and Chris Haynes, Ham had a strong response following Haynes’s comment about the Nuggets doing a lot of celebrating this postseason (h/t SBNation’s Harrison Faigen).

“Oh, wow. You’re gonna bring up Money Mike, man? The Lakers’ daddy? That’s what they call him now? The Lakers’ daddy?” Ham said.

The comment came in response to a video featuring Nuggets broadcaster Vic Lombardi calling Malone the Lakers’ daddy while the coach hyped up the crowd at Denver’s championship parade.

Haynes proceeded to point out that “I guess you can talk when you win a championship,” which brought the hammer from Ham with a one-liner that will likely stick with Lakers fans well into next season.

“God bless his soul. This s— ain’t over. God bless his soul,” stated Ham.

There’s obviously no love lost these days between the Lakers and Nuggets, who appear to have forged a rivalry in the span of one postseason. Regardless, the upcoming matchups next season between the two teams should be must-see television.