The Los Angeles Lakers‘ 2019-20 NBA championship has divided opinion unlike any other. The ‘Bubble Championship’ has been discarded by many due to its unique circumstances. However, Miami Heat superstar Bam Adebayo, who competed in the NBA Finals in the bio-bubble in Orlando, has a different view. On The OGs podcast, hosted by retired Heat legend Udonis Haslem, the center said:
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“That was the hardest championship to win, in my opinion. [Rosters were ], 15 [players] deep, plus coaches, staff, whatever [else] you need, like training staff [was there]. But other than that, it’s you, your thoughts. One room. Boxed in.”
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of the NBA season in March 2020. The season resumed in July 2020 in a secure bio-bubble in Walt Disney World, Florida. The 22 teams in playoff contention were invited to the NBA Bubble. Players who entered the bubble were quarantined for 14 days in their hotel rooms and were not permitted to go to any other rooms. They were also regularly tested for COVID-19.
The restriction on movement and human contact outside of players and staff on their team was the most challenging aspect of staying in the NBA Bubble for the players. Adebayo explained:
“It felt like you were gang-affiliated when you were in the bubble. The Lakers got on their purple-and-gold, we got on black, the Bucks got on their green. Nobody was walking by their self.”
The teams that entered the bubble played 20 to 21 regular season games and finished the campaign with 73 games. The regular season concluded on August 14th, and the playoffs commenced on August 17th. Adebayo and the Heat won the East and faced LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Lakers beat the Heat 4-2 and won their 17th NBA title, equaling the Boston Celtics record for most championships.
Jamal Murray and Damian Lillard claim NBA Bubble was the hardest title to win
With no fans in attendance and no distractions, players had nothing but basketball to focus on. Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray explained it best. He called the NBA Bubble “the highest level of basketball.” In an interview with Taylor Rooks, he explained:
“Guys were so locked in. You go to the gym, you have shootaround, you eat, you play. Win or lose, you’re in your room, you go back to the gym. If you wanna do something, you want a hobby, just go to the other gym, you have court time from 6-9, that’s all we did.”
Damian Lillard has a similar opinion. While some discredit the Lakers’ title win due to its unique circumstances, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar believes the bubble championship should count for more than a regular title win. During an appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, he explained:
“In the bubble it was, ain’t no travel, your treatment is right there, like they had cold tubs at the pool waiting after every game, there was bus to the gym, it was so light! I mean there was no travel, the practice was right there, it was all we had to think about. Everybody was like their sharpest.”
The reasons Lillard values the bubble championship higher are similar to why some discredit it. Detractors claim that with no fan support for teams to rely on during crunch moments and no travel or fatigue to deal with like players usually have to, playing and winning in the bubble was easier.
Both arguments have merit. On the court, some players were at their best. However, with no support system around them, some players crumbled. The mental toll of the isolation in the bubble affected many players. On the other hand, some argue that overcoming those circumstances made the bubble championship even tougher to win.
Whichever side of the spectrum someone falls on, history cannot be altered. The Lakers’ 17th championship banner will hang forever in the rafters of their home stadium, regardless of anyone’s opinion about the NBA Bubble.
