"Lakers just aren't what they used to be": George Karl beefs LA fans after they demand LeBron and Co. to duck smoke vs Nuggets

The LA Lakers try to sustain their dominance over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday when they square off for the No. 7 seed in the West. Two days after drubbing the Pelicans (124-108) on the road, Los Angeles will attempt to make it two in a row to punch a playoff ticket. LA’s reward, should it beat New Orleans, will be a date with the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Many in Laker Nation and even some analysts are convinced the Tinseltown team should just punt Tuesday’s game in Louisiana. They are urging LA to rather get the No. 8 seed by beating the winner of the Sacramento Kings versus Golden State Warriors showdown. Under this scenario, Los Angeles heads to the playoffs as the OKC Thunder’s first-round opponents.

George Karl, a former coach of the Denver Nuggets, couldn’t resist trolling some diehard LA fans for even thinking about it.

“It would be wild to see the Lakers lose on purpose tomorrow night to avoid the Nuggets!

“The Lakers just aren’t what they used to be!!”

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X, formerly Twitter user, @GuruLakers didn’t hold back:

“George I’m about to start charging you for using my name…run me my money before I call Kenyon Martin!

“Don’t get it twisted, we want the [smoke emoji]”

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Mentioning Kenyon Martin was a shot at George Karl. Martin used to be one of Karl’s players with the Nuggets. Over the years, the two have traded nasty punches on social media. Martin called him an “awful and cowards a** coach.” K-Mart added that the Nuggets could have won a championship if they were not stuck with Karl.

When Karl started coaching in the NBA in the ‘80s, the LA Lakers were in the midst of a historic rivalry with the Boston Celtics. During Karl’s years with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1998 to 2003, reigning in the NBA was the legendary duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Finally, in George Karl’s stint with the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers had “KB24” and Pau Gasol as the franchise cornerstones. He probably doesn’t see the Purple and Gold franchise as having the same competitive fire as those iconic teams.

Beating the Nuggets will be a tall task for the LA Lakers

The LA Lakers have not been successful against the Denver Nuggets over their last eight meetings. They got the broom in four games in the Western Conference Finals last season and are winless against them in the 2023-24 campaign. Denver is perhaps the team that’s built to survive everything Los Angeles can throw at them.

If they meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Nuggets have the home-court edge. In their only showdown in Mile High City this season, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their teammates wilted 119-107. The postseason is different but the defending champs’ dominance has not wavered.

Defiant LA fans believe their team is better equipped to deal the Nuggets a blow this season compared to last. LeBron James is arguably healthier while the supporting cast is deeper, has more size and is better skilled.

The spat between George Karl and Laker fans will likely resume depending on LA’s performance on Tuesday. If James and Co. pack it in early, they might have decided to avoid the Denver Nuggets at all cost. In that case, Karl will have a field day trolling them on social media.