"Denver you're cooked" - Gilbert Arenas clowns Nuggets over Michael Malone's exit with cheeky LeBron James twist

Following a four-game losing streak, the Denver Nuggets front office made the shocking decision to fire coach Michael Malone. This controversial decision has opened up the floodgates for various reactions from everywhere in the NBA community. One person who shared his thoughts was former All-Star Gilbert Arenas.

Arenas posted a video of himself on his Instagram account, openly laughing and mocking Denver. He also seemed to think that this decision gives one of the team's rivals, LeBron James and the LA Lakers, an easy path to a championship.

"Denver, you're cooked," Arenas said. "You think we care? We don't care. It's Luka (Doncic) time. LeBron (James) is getting his fifth. LeBron is getting his fifth championship! What? You think we care? Bye-bye!"

Arenas believes that with Malone gone, the Nuggets can't stand in the way of the Lakers. With no one standing in the way, James will guide his squad as they march through the Western Conference and into the NBA finals.

At least in Arenas' scenario, the firing of Malone means James was just handed his fifth championship.

Of course, the playoff race and the postseason aren't that straightforward. Denver isn't the only team that LA could face. There are other threats in the West, and even if they manage to get to the finals, there are still the Eastern Conference champs for them to worry about.

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The Denver Nuggets have bounced the LA Lakers out of the playoffs the last two years

Perhaps LA Lakers fans have something to celebrate with the firing of Michael Malone. After all, the Denver Nuggets have been the biggest roadblock for them the past two postseasons.

In 2023, when the Nuggets won their first title in franchise history, one of the teams they steamrolled was the Lakers. These two teams met in the Western Conference finals, where Denver swept 4-0, stopping LeBron James and Co. from facing off against the Miami Heat, a team that they beat in the 2020 NBA finals.

Then, last year, LA again ran into Denver in the playoffs. This time, their clash was held in the opening round. LA fared slightly better, winning one game in the series.

It hasn't just been in the playoffs that Michael Malone's ex-team has outplayed the Lakers. Since 2022-23, their season series has been dominated by Denver. They've played 11 regular season games in these three years, and the record is 7-4 in favor of the Nuggets.