According to Shaquille O’Neal, the Denver Nuggets are the team that is undoubtedly worth rooting for.
Much has been made of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets, and while neither side wants to call it a rivalry, both teams are certainly more motivated when playing each other.
Speaking recently on ESPN, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal said the following about this game:
“It’s not about closing the gap, it’s about beating the champions,” O’Neal said. “Denver did what they had to do and now they are champions. I think Coach Malone said it best: “It’s not a rivalry, we’re not going through what happened four months ago, this is a new season.” To become a champion, you must defeat the champion. I think LeBron and the guys know that so Denver is the team to beat. A lot of people, including me, wanted the Lakers to win.”
With the Lakers, O’Neal wants to see them defeat the Nuggets after being swept by them last season. Given the current NBA landscape, there’s no guarantee that Denver and Los Angles will meet again in the playoffs, but it would certainly be an interesting matchup if they do.
There has been a lot of back and forth this summer between the two teams, as some Lakers players reacted to some of the offseason noise coming from Denver’s side. This adds intrigue, making the match more interesting.
