The 2019-20 NBA season was unlike any other in the history of the league. The season was shut down for months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but it did eventually resume in the ‘bubble’ in Orlando. The end result was LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA Championship, but it is a ring that many have tried to discredit.
Some point to the fact that an older James and an injury-prone Davis were able to get a rest they normally wouldn’t have and, without that, wouldn’t have had the playoff run they did. But many others have reminded that all players were able to get that break and someone who just flat out disagrees with this idea is Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.
Lillard recently appeared on 2 Cool 2 Blog and said he feels that championship was harder than a normal one because everyone in the bubble was well-rested and theoretically, should have been at their best physically, and it was the Lakers who came out on top:
Damian Lillard speaks on the people who try to discredit the Lakers championship in 2020 in the bubble on Back on Figg pic.twitter.com/GciM2AUjh4
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) September 19, 2023
As Lillard said, there were certainly some mental hurdles that everyone had to deal with inside the bubble and those can not be discounted. But from a physical standpoint, there was nothing for anyone to do but play, relax and recover. Lillard noted that he personally felt better than he had at any other point in his career and the excuses of players being tired or the nightlife catching up to some, were eliminated.
In that environment, the Lakers were simply the team who were best able to stay focused and come together to be the best version of the team possible. It’s also worth reminding that the Lakers had far and away the best record in the Western Conference at the time of the shut down and had just beaten the two other top title contenders in back-to-back games in the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, neither of whom made the Conference Finals in the bubble.
Lillard, like many other players, continues to fight back against the notion of the 2020 championship being less than any other and hopefully that Lakers team will get is well-deserved credit for coming out on top.
Lakers sign Jarred Vanderbilt to four-year contract extension
James and Davis are hoping to bring another championship to the Lakers this season and the franchise recently locked in one of the team’s most important role players in defensive ace Jarred Vanderbilt.
The two sides agreed on a four-year, $48 million extension that runs through the 2026-27 season with a player option for 2027-28.
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