Follow Dillon on Twitter for more pre/post game interviews: @DillonMThomas

The Denver Nuggets are off to a rocky start this season. After dropping their first few games, the team is just now beginning to find their footing, obtaining their second win of the season Monday night against the winless Utah Jazz.

The Nuggets face the historic NBA championship-loaded Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday. First year Nuggets Head Coach Brian Shaw knows the Lakers all too well.

Shaw, a multi-year winning NBA Champion, found the majority of his success in Los Angeles with the Lakers organization. Shaw won multiple championships with the franchise both as a player, alongside Shaquile O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and as an assistant coach under the legendary Phil Jackson.

Prior to the game Wednesday night, Shaw addressed his emotions prior to facing his former team.

“It’s three years removed for me now,” Shaw said, “most of the people I was affiliated with aren’t there anymore.”

Shaw acknowledged that he still stays in contact with Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

“We talk maybe once or twice a month,” Shaw said. “[Kobe] always felt invincible and I would always say to him ‘father time will catch up with you at some point and ice will be your best friend’. I think he is seeing that now.”

Although Bryant did not suit for the Nuggets vs. Lakers matchup Wednesday, Shaw still addressed that Bryant is still capable of being a force in the league after returning from his Achilles tear.

“If anybody can come back and defy the odds in terms of the injury that he’s dealing with, my money would be on [Bryant] to come back from that,” Shaw said.

Follow Dillon on Twitter for more pre/post game interviews: @DillonMThomas