Lakers pop the NBA bubble and win their 17th NBA championship
By Jeremy Platt, Staff Writer
Sports fans have been talking about the NBA bubble for the entire summer, and with the Los Angeles Lakers coming out on top, it is important to break down what exactly the NBA bubble is and why the 2020 season was so historic. Due to the pandemic, the NBA had to pause the 2019-2020 season with eight games left in the regular season. To finish out the year, the NBA came up with a way to safely play games and crown a winner.
The bubble was for the 22 NBA teams who were in playoff contention. Every player, coach and member of these NBA teams were invited to isolate themselves at Disney World in Orlando, FL. There would be a month’s worth of practice before each remaining team played out their final eight games and the playoffs. Due to the daily testing and strict rules of the bubble, there were no COVID-19 breakouts.
In the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat represented the Eastern Conference and the Lakers represented the Western Conference. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, whereas the Lakers were led by Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers took home the championship in game six and James won “Finals MVP”. The Lakers are now tied with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA titles at 17. This is the fourth time James has won the NBA finals, but his first championship in a Lakers’ uniform. James was very vocal after winning his fourth finals MVP.
“Coach Vogel wants his respect. The organization wants their respect. Laker Nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect too,” James said.
This is the first time the Lakers have won the NBA finals since 2010 when they were led by the late Kobe Bryant. Samo basketball player Jaxon Buzzell (’21) is a Lakers fan and this is the first time he has been able to appreciate one of his favorite sports teams win a championship.
“The Lakers winning a championship would always mean a lot to me, but this year more than ever it’s a great moment for all of LA as it pays proper respect to what Kobe (Bryant) did for the city. But for me personally, it means a lot just because I’ve been watching my whole life and have never been able to witness anything so great from my team before, so this is unreal,” Buzzell said.
In the bubble, stars shined and young players emerged. The “all-bubble” team, the group of players voted to have played the best during the bubble, consisted of Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, TJ Warren, Luka Doncic and James Harden. Young players like Herro and Jayson Tatum became fan favorites, while Nuggets’ point guard, Jamaal Murray separated himself as one of the best players in the NBA. Samo basketball player Aidan Van Opdorp (’21) felt like Murray was the best player in the entire NBA bubble.
“Murray solidified himself as a true superstar… the sky's the limit for his potential,” Van Opdorp said.
Many thought the games to be entertaining and there were a ton of thrilling finishes. From a pure basketball standpoint, the bubble has been viewed as a major success.
Throughout the bubble, the NBA was able to raise awareness of social injustices through protests and by putting messages such as “Black Lives Matter” or “Say Their Names” on the back of player’s jerseys. Players like Chris Paul promoted Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with his pre-game outfits and the NBA played a pivotal role in the Black Lives Matter movement.
For most players, the hardest part of the bubble was not being able to see their families however, there was a lot of positive response from the players as well. Sacramento Kings Point Guard, De’Aaron Fox was on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast after the bubble. He compared the bubble to Amatuer Athletic Union (AAU) basketball, which is the type of basketball Fox played when he was growing up.
“I just remember back in the day when you were with your guys back in the hotels, hanging out… I enjoyed it,” Fox said.
Throughout the bubble, the fans had more access to the players than they have ever had before. Players such as 76ers player Matisse Thybulle and the Lakers' Javale McGee vlogged their entire experience during their time in the bubble. Players were able to go golfing, fishing and hang out with players from all over the league. The bubble was a great experience for players to build relationships and it brought the entire league together.