Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had previously celebrated an NBA championship victory with the Lakers in 2020, found himself on the opposing side last season as his Nuggets clashed with the Purple and Gold in the Western Conference Finals.
The Nuggets left no room for doubt as they dominated the series, securing a clean sweep 4-0 over the Lakers before progressing to defeat the Heat in the Finals and clinch their first championship.
Recalling moments from the past season, Caldwell-Pope highlighted the camaraderie he shared with his former Lakers teammates on their path to the conference finals.
“Last year, I think it was the series before the Western Conference Finals, I had reach out to them, like ‘Hey man, I’ve been watching y’all, you’re doing great, keep it up’ such and such,” he recalled. “But then it was ‘Can’t wait to see y’all in the Western Conference Finals.’ It was like ‘We ready.’
Just having that camaraderie with the friends being able to play against them as well. It’s always good,” Caldwell-Pope shared on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Emphasizing the competitive spirit, he added, “They’re my brothers still. But we had to give them that butt whipping. It was personal, but it wasn’t personal. We did something that hasn’t been done in a long time as far as Lakers getting swept. And for us making history, making the Finals for the first time.”
