Michael Malone Shows his ‘Lakers-Daddy’ Side To Scare Off Celtics Troop: “Take That L on The Way Out Baby”

The Denver Nuggets faced off against the Boston Celtics tonight. With both cross-conference teams occupying high spots on their respective points table, NBA fans were waiting to see how this matchup will play out. Thanks to the commendable offensive effort by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets ended up defeating their rivals, 115-109.

During the post-game press conference, Michael Malone talked about the huge crowd of Celtics fans at the Ball Arena in Colorado that overshadowed the fans of his own team. The coach addressed the presence of the crowd with the same hilarious line that became one of the most iconic moments of the 2018-19 NBA season. “You’ve gotta give the Celtics fans credit. They always come out strong. But you know what we say. They can take that L on the way out, baby.”

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Malone’s comments came after he, and the rest of the Nuggets, observed how the sea of green-clad audience was reportedly cheering for every block and every ball that was successful in going through the hoop. They were at their best when cheering on 27-year-old Jaylen Brown, who managed to deliver one of the most memorable performances of the night with his 41 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. The extra fan support and Brown’s effort, however, weren’t enough to help the team secure a win in their own homecourt. Given that this was the Celtics’ second loss in a row against the Nuggets, it seemed justifiable for the head coach to gloat a little.

Michael Malone put down the Lakers with his “Take the L” line almost 5 years ago

The “Take that L on the way out” line was not something that Michael Malone, who earned the nickname ‘Lakers Daddy’ back in 2023 from Vic Lombardi, came up with on the spot during the recent presser. Rather, it was the same line he used once to put down the Lakers.

Back in November 2018, the Nuggets managed to secure a 117-85 win against the LA team during a regular season game. In the aftermath of the same, Malone was asked by a member of the press whether securing a win against marquee franchises like the Lakers have earned the Nuggets their long due “converts”. To this, the coach replied that neither he nor this team are someone who values themselves on the basis of “converts”.

“You’re either with us or you’re against us,” said Malone. “LeBron is arguably the best player ever. When he comes to town, the Lakers and their fans carry. As long as their fans go home disappointed, that’s all I care about. The Warrior fans can come in here, the Celtic fans can come in here. The Laker fans can come in here. But take that L on the way out.”

Almost 5 years have passed since that comment was made, and Michael Malone’s ‘attitude’ towards the opposing teams’ fans continues to remain the same. Fans can only hope that they could get more opportunities to witness this version of Malone from time to time.