Letters to Sports: Lakers can learn from the Nuggets’ NBA title run

Congrats to Nikola Jokic, who won an NBA championship and the Finals MVP. While being interviewed he talked about his teammates and the relationships that will last long after his basketball career is over. Then he picked up his daughter and walked away, leaving his MVP trophy on the table. An NBA champion showing the world what really matters: family, friendship and, of course, winning.

Judy Thomsen
Glendora

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Kudos to the Denver Nuggets for building a team over time rather than mortgaging their future for instant success, for playing a team game that reminds us how meaningless MVP awards are, and for overcoming the worst call in NBA Finals history, even after a review.

Ron Ovadia
Irvine

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Being a Laker fan, I rarely get to see an NBA team with such class as the Nuggets. I did not see the flopping, the arguing with the referees, the placing a crown on their own head, taunting the opponent, saying “I am him,” and threatening management with retirement and telling management what to do. It is nice to finally see class on the court.

Flora Perry
Los Angeles

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I’ll sum up the Nuggets-Heat series in five words: The Butler didn’t do it.

Marc Popkin
Cambria

Congratulations to the Vegas Golden Knights on winning their first Stanley Cup. Also, congratulations to the Denver Nuggets on their first NBA championship. Here’s hoping that the local teams can bring the trophies back to L.A. next year.

Jon Schmid
La Mirada

If the rumors are true that Chris Paul “may” be coming to the Lakers, please, pump the brakes!

The last time the Lakers staked their future on a 38-year-old, oft-injured point guard it proved to be disastrous. Can you say “Steve Nash?“

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

How many walk-off losses do the Dodgers need to endure before management figures out a way to get a decent closer? If not, you can kiss this season goodbye.

Larry Larson
Redondo Beach

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With the exception of Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol, this year’s bullpen is as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

Wayne Kamiya
El Segundo

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Emmet Sheehan made his MLB debut Friday and threw a no-hitter for six innings against the Giants. Dave Roberts took Sheehan out of the game with the Dodgers ahead 4-0 and the Dodgers wound up losing 7-5. Forty-three years ago this month, Jerry Reuss no-hit the Giants 8-0. Tommy Lasorda allowed Reuss to complete the game. I miss the old days!

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

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The answer to the Dodgers’ bullpen dilemma? Three possibilities: Have starters go deeper; trade for or seek free agents; wait till next year!

Mark Mallinger
Malibu

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If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result, then I must suggest Dave Roberts and his bullpen be immediately confined to baseball’s version of a psychiatric ward.

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

In this “make or break” season for the Angels to get into the playoffs to show Shohei Ohtani that they “want to win,” Mike Trout, the oft-described “best player in baseball,” is batting .258 with a quiet 14 homers.

Since his injury-shortened year in 2021, when he hit a career-high .333, his batting average dropped 50 points in 2022 and a further 25 points so far this year. Let’s hope he’s not the second coming of Albert Pujols, whose production fell off precipitously toward the end of his career.

Ken Blake
Brea

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Has age begun to catch up with Mike Trout? Would the Angels dare to move him down in the batting order?

Gary Emerling
Westlake Village

It appears that the beleaguered Oakland A’s are destined for a very big change, and that change seems to be locating to Las Vegas. There are ample financial incentives for the move and MLB “wants the Vegas deal done.” Whatever needs to be done for the move hopefully will be completed. Vegas has always been “the” location for just about anything new, exciting and in vogue for the times.

Based on what’s been going on in the last few years as far as sports, it is almost a foregone conclusion that Vegas will be the sports venue of the future.

Bill Spitalnick
Newport Beach

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A’s fans can protest in East Bay, and rural Nevadans can hate the proposal, but that will make no difference to the big money boys. They will do whatever they want, including buying state legislators and building a new baseball stadium.

It is quite a sight to see how the pro sports industry can shake its magic wand and send a wobbling state legislature into special session.

The good news is that the proposed billion-dollar stadium, if built, will likely stand forever as a monument to Nevada’s once sturdy existence, like the Colosseum in Rome, even long after American civilization implodes from within from too much emphasis on sports, and too little emphasis on the health, education and welfare of its citizens.

Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah

One of the interesting things I noticed about the article on SoCal golfers at the U.S. Open is that six of the seven now live in states with very low or no state income tax. I wonder if there is any connection in their decision to leave California for another state.

Andy Lieber
Potomac, Md.

Another disappointing example of the treatment of women in sports is the coverage of the Belmont Stakes.

The winning trainer is the first woman to train a Triple Crown [race] winner. And yet, she didn’t even merit a teeny tiny photo to accompany this one-column story on page D1? Holding a trophy like is shown all the time for men? Kissing her horse? Yes, the nice write-up continued on D3, and a huge photo of her, yet the caption talked about her crying.

I remember when the incomparable racehorse Zenyatta won the Santa Anita Derby some years ago. She was unbeaten in all her races and faced off against all stallions. She came charging up from behind the field for a decisive victory with jockey Mike Smith. Her reward? Getting a story buried inside the pages of the sports section. Surely can’t let females dilute all that testosterone-fueled coverage.

Susan Paul
Trabuco Canyon

How low the UCLA softball program has fallen. Of the 12 local high school players selected to The Times’ All-Star team, seven have committed to colleges, none to UCLA. The reason points to postseason collapses since 2019. So, if coach Kelly Inouye-Perez cannot recruit marquee players in her own backyard, maybe it’s time for a change.

Mario Valvo
Ventura

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