This week on the Daly Dose, it is the week of our nine-year anniversary at the Daly Dose and we look back at some memories that we have had along the way.
Finally, in honor of our nine year anniversary, we take a look back at how different the Daly Dose Sports Podcast could have been if not for a few minor tweaks!
This week on the Daly Dose, the ESPYs took place last week, and we have to wonder why we weren’t at least nominated for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Plus, Lebron James has been doing some very Lebron things lately.
This week on the Daly Dose YouTube video, the ESPYs took place last week, and we have to wonder why we weren’t at least nominated for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Plus Lebron James has been doing some very Lebron things lately.
Lebron James made an announcement over the weekend that he would be changing numbers yet again.
In a nod to the late Bill Russell, James stated his intention to stop wearing the No 6, which was the number that the great Boston Celtic wore throughout his amazing career.
“It’s LeBron’s decision,” said Rich Paul, James’ longtime friend and agent. “He chose to out of respect for Bill Russell.”
When Russell passed away last July at the age of 88, the NBA announced that it would be retiring the jersey No. 6 across the league. However, those players that were currently already wearing the number would be grandfathered in, and could keep wearing the number if they chose to do so.
It is the first time in NBA history that the league has ever honored a player in such a fashion.
If there was ever a player that deserved it, it would have to be Russell.
Russell was an 11-time champion in Boston, a five-time MVP and a 12-time All-Star. He then became the first Black head coach in league history, and won his last two rings as a player-coach for the Celtics.
Last season, James had hinted that a change could be coming. “For me to be able to wear No. 6 this season — I’m not sure if I’ll continue to do it, but right now I’m going to wear it in honor of him. It means a lot to me.” he said last summer.
This week the Daly Dose learned James is going to be changing yet again after the upcoming season.
First reported by the Daly Dose I-Team, following the 2023-2024 NBA season it seems that Lebron plans to stop wearing the No. 23 too.
“For me to be able to wear No. 23 this season — I’m not sure if I’ll continue to do it, but right now I’m going to wear it in honor of me. It means a lot to me.”
He continued “I mean, no matter if you play the game, watch the game or a part of the game. We all know what I have meant to the NBA, obviously to Cleveland, Miami and Los Angeles off the floor as well, as far as my heroism … and what I have meant to Black people, being able to speak about issues that are not comfortable. This just seems like a natural progression to me. Besides, it isn’t like anyone else of importance ever wore the No. 23.”
The Denver Nuggets made history on Monday night, as they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals by a final score of 113-111.
Yes, they made the first NBA Finals in franchise history.
In 47 seasons, the Nuggets had never been to an NBA Finals. To be honest, they really hadn’t been that close. In 2020 they lost to the Lakers in five games. In 2009, the Lakers eliminated them in six games. In 1985 it was the Lakers in five. Back in 1978, the Seattle Supersonics stopped them in six games.
This time around, it was the Nuggets sending the Lakers home in four straight. The very first playoff sweep of an opponent in Nuggets history.
The Nuggets had to get past Lakers superstar Lebron James, who had only been swept out of the playoffs two times in his 20 year career.
Lebron didn’t go quietly, scoring 40 points, but only managing two points in the final quarter.
On a day that former Nugget Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from basketball, Nikola Jokic left no doubt who the greatest Nugget in history is.
In finishing off the Lakers, and being named the Western Conference MVP, Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.
For the series, he averaged 28 points, 14.5 rebounds and 12 assists.
Not bad for a guy that couldn’t make ESPN commentator Mark Jackson’s MVP ballot.
Yet for all of these accomplishments that the Nuggets have achieved in this historic season, there is a different type of history that this team has accomplished.
They didn’t have excuses.
None.
The Lakers had history on their side. They have 17 championships. The Nuggets haven’t even been to the Finals.
The Lakers have Lebron James. The Nuggets have a big Serbian whose playing style resembles more Magic Johnson than Vlade Divac.
The Nuggets starting point guard Jamal Murray was fighting sickness to start this series, but you would never know it from his play on the floor.
Murray averaged 32.5 points for the series, and constantly found ways to make clutch plays with games on the line.
The Lakers shot 107 free throws to Denver’s 81, despite the fact that most of the Nuggets free throws came late in games, when the Lakers were forced to foul to stop the clock.
This is the true difference between this Nuggets team and the ones from previous seasons.
This team made no excuses.
They could have folded their tents on Saturday night when they found themselves trailing midway through the fourth quarter. If they had, then this series would have suddenly been close again.
Instead, the Nuggets went on a 13-0 run to retake the lead, and never relinquished it again. The win gave Denver a commanding 3-0 lead.
The Nuggets could have decided that last night just wasn’t their night, when Lebron opened the game with 31 points in the first half, and every call was going in favor of the Lakers.
Instead of spinning the “we wanted to close the series at home” narrative, this team stormed back from a 15-point halftime deficit to close the series out, and get a much needed rest.
This team doesn’t make excuses. They don’t worry about the things they can’t control. They just go out and make more plays than their opponents.
That fact should bode well for a team headed to their first NBA Finals in franchise history.
This week on the Daly Dose YouTube video, Mother’s Day is coming quickly, and we discuss the celebration of Cinco de Mayo!
In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers have been struggling. Lebron James isn’t happy with the league’s playoff format, but he might want to blame someone else!
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