LeBron James fires back at Nuggets HC Michael Malone

While LeBron James is apparently enjoying a vacation in Europe currently, it was impossible for him to avoid the constant chatter from the head coach of the NBA's newest champion. Following the Denver Nuggets' impressive sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn't pull any punches.

He also opted not to slow down with his digs at the Lakers after Denver had wrapped up their NBA Finals victory over the Miami Heat. And while the newly-crowned champs have certainly earned the right to talk as much as they want following a stellar playoff run, Malone's targeting of the Lakers has been interesting, to say the least.

Almost immediately after Denver's title-clinching win over the Heat, Malone joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the impressive run. During the conversation, Malone took a shot that was clearly pointed at James. Malone was asked about the topic of how the media handled their Nuggets coverage and specifically, the lack of praise given nationally to Nikola Jokic throughout the series. Prior to answering his question, Malone hit the pause button to jab James and the Lakers.

"Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know, this is breaking news, I'm thinking about retiring," Malone joked.

This was a reference to James' comments after his team's loss to the Nuggets that hinted at a potential retirement and caused waves through the national media.

On top of all of this, during Denver's championship parade, Vic Lombardi unloaded a joke calling Malone the "Lakers' daddy," with the Nuggets coach hyping up the crowd as it was said. The scene immediately went viral for obvious reasons.