The Los Angeles Lakers losing in the 2023 Western Conference Finals shook the media headlines. For LeBron James, being swept certainly spurred conversations about his legacy. And over the past few months, even NBA legends have spoken about it. That’s because the Lakers duo of the King and the Brow were expected to easily steal at least one game. But when they went down to the Denver Nuggets in just 4 games, people started talking.

A former Lakers player had much to say about the loss during a recent media interaction. His unique relationship with both teams in the WCF Finals gives him an interesting take on the sweep.

Former teammate of LeBron James fires shots at Lakers loss

Mid-season trades often see players being asked to randomly change cities. Somehow, one player found himself going from the Los Angeles Lakers to the team that would eventually end their playoff hopes. Bryant was part of the Laker’s team last season until they traded him for Davon Reed in a deal with the Nuggets. During a recent conversation, Thomas Bryant was asked whether he wanted to send a message to the Lakers’ group chat. He first laughed it off. But he then replied, “I wanted to step foot in the locker room.”?

His response was met with a burst of laughter. Bryant was then asked whether the situation would be different if he was part of the Lakers team during that match.

To that, the 25-year-old center replied, “For me, personally, absolutely, I feel like it would have.” He continued, “I am not saying that we would have won or you know, wouldn’t have got swept or anything. But I feel like, you know, just for me, you know, just knowing how I have played with those guys over there… Like I feel we could, like if I was on that team, we could have really stirred the pot. “

Now an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets, Bryant clearly has a surge of confidence in his game. However, this was not the case earlier in the season as Bryant was allegedly angry about his playing time.

Thomas Bryant goes from unhappy Laker to champion

There are always chances that an athlete is forced to go to a team that they aren’t comfortable with, purely for strategic reasons. Coaches spend months planning out their roster, but a last-minute injury or even a trade request can shake things up. For Thomas Bryant though, this trade was exactly what he wanted.

Bryant was reportedly unhappy during his stint in LA as he was not getting enough playing time over Anthony Davis.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned and leave some bitter memories in the minds of everyone involved. But this seems to be one of those rare times that an NBA star has spoken about the failure of the team that traded him.

Read More: How Did Thomas Bryant Get hurt, Details of his Injury & What Does it Mean For Washington Wizards?

What do you think about Bryant’s trade back then? Do you think he alone could have done anything about the sweep? Tell us in the comments.

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