The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to end their mini-championship drought as it’s been over five seasons since they’ve held the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Most teams around the NBA would consider just five years removed from a title as a massive accomplishment, but expectations are different in Los Angeles as the team is expected to win every year. The 2025-26 season is a massive opportunity for the Lakers to recapture their glory as Luka Doncic appears to be in the best shape of his life and the roster was improved via free agency.
LeBron James is also still around despite rumors that he was growing disgruntled in Los Angeles and he represents the lone member of the Lakers’ last championship team in 2020. James and Anthony Davis led a group of talented veterans to a championship in the Bubble, vindicating themselves as the best team of the 2019-20 campaign.
Rajon Rondo was a key member of the championship run as he was the perfect floor general off the bench and nailed clutch shots when needed. Rondo and his son had a photo go viral during the Lakers’ celebration on the floor and the two recently recreated the famous shot, via Enjoy:
Rajon Rondo and his son recreate their famous picture from the 2020 bubble 🏆 pic.twitter.com/A8KCLJsIZV
— ENJ🏀Y (@EnjoyBBall) July 28, 2025
Rondo and his son are seen celebrating the moment after the latter won his middle school championship, a fitting homage to the 2020 championship win. Rondo became just the second player in NBA history to win a title with both the Lakers and Boston Celtics, joining Clyde Lovellette.
Rondo officially retired from the NBA in 2024, ending a successful career that endeared him to two iconic franchises. Although he was far past his prime during his stints with Los Angeles, he remained an effective leader and lead guard. Rondo seems tailor-made to become an NBA coach and has already gotten his feet wet by working with the Milwaukee Bucks and Doc Rivers.
He has previously expressed an interest in leading a James-owned team in Las Vegas some day, so it’ll be interesting to see if that ends up playing out.
Phil Handy defends Lakers’ bubble championship
Former Houston Rockets and currently Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey was recently downplaying the championship that Rajon Rondo and the Lakers won in the bubble. That caused a response from former Lakers assistant Phil Handy, who defended the validity of the title.
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