The Lakers’ 2020 title will be an oft-discussed and likely forever divisive topic for basketball fans.
Whether you think it was a title with an asterisk or one of the most difficult ever, you’re not likely to change your mind at this point. What’s also always been clear, though, is that the players who were there themselves feel a specific type of way about this title.
In his latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, LeBron James and co-host Steve Nash dove deep into the bubble. More than he ever has before, LeBron shared his feelings on what that title meant after the long, grueling path they took.
“That was a culmination of 96 days that was just us. To be able to last and finish it with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Like, you had a sense of sentiment. You saw [Anthony Davis] crying. You saw AD crying when we won it…It was definitely pretty cool man. It’s something, obviously, that I will never forget. Being a part of the bubble, us winning it there and just being with that group of guys for that amount of time. It’s a very prideful thing for sure.
“It’s almost like you had to be there. People can’t fathom what that looks like unless you’ve been there man. It was some different s—.”
Whatever your feelings may be, it’s hard to argue against LeBron here, mainly because these are his feelings on the matter.
For basically everyone, 2020 was a dark time. Quarantines became commonplace, including in the NBA, where teams were placed in a literal bubble in Disney. You can look back now and downplay it, but the uncertainty hung over everyone at that time.
So, in a different way than typical, the playoffs were a mental battle this season. Having it culminate in a title surely made that title feel different, and maybe better in certain ways, than any other title he has won.
Will any of this change your mind if you already felt one type of way? Surely not. But it’s hard to deny how LeBron feels about it, and it clearly means a lot to him.
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