Nearly five years have passed since the NBA bubble, but many continue to discredit the accomplishment of the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers. Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, is the latest prominent figure to voice his opinion. However, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith was not pleased with Morey’s comment. Despite having a reputation for being critical of LeBron James, Smith came to the defense of the Lakers’ superstar.
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The Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship has often found itself amid every criticism possible. Certain fans consider it a ‘Mickey Mouse ring.’ Their reasoning falls on the conditions in which teams competed against each other.
No fans were physically present aside from a couple of family members. All the players present in the bubble weren’t able to freely go out due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. They were undesirable conditions, to say the least.
Every figure within NBA circles understands the difficulties the bubble presented. However, Morey revealed what many high-ranking NBA personnel think of the Lakers’ 2020 title.
“Everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn’t truly hold up as a genuine championship,” Morey said to The Athletic. “The champion will forever be marked by an asterisk.”
Morey’s comments come off as extremely bold but are completely contradictory. He went on to say, “Had the Rockets won the title, I absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required.” Yet, since the Lakers won the ring, all of a sudden there’s an asterisk?
Smith sees through Morey’s statement. He doesn’t just disagree with Morey’s claim — he identifies the source of these illegitimate statements.
“Philadelphia has been nothing to brag about,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “Houston never got it done. Why would you even give a quote like that about championships, where, respectfully, Mr. Morey, it is something critics would argue you’re allergic [to championships]?”
Smith makes a compelling argument that many critics, such as Morey, fail to take into consideration the bubble. If it were so easy, why did other elite teams fail in their quest to win a ring?
The Los Angeles Clippers had an amazing roster with expectations to potentially win it all, but their season ended in the second round after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers trumped the Nuggets when it came to talent, but that didn’t matter.
Teams only had one thing to focus on during the bubble, which was basketball. By no means is it the easiest championship. If anything, it is one of the most difficult. Especially considering the mental hardships each player was experiencing.
Not to forget, after the 2024-25 season the Sixers have had, Morey has bigger fish to fry.
