LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were destined to cross paths at some point. The most dominant players in NBA history have consistently called the Lakers home, with the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O'Neal predating James.
One of the other shared elements of James' career and the Lakers' legacy is the general public's need to dissect every moment of their existence.
James has been in the spotlight for over 20 years, during which time he's pieced together a legendary résumé that includes four NBA championships. He won the fourth of those titles with the Lakers in 2019-20—a ring that's been widely discredited due to the fact that it was won at the height of COVID-19, when games were played in the fanless NBA Bubble.
During a recent appearance on BustaJack Golf, Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves discussed the manner in which detractors perceive the 2020 championship and scoffed at the idea that it counts less than other titles.
"It's not a Mickey Mouse ring. I don't want to say it's the hardest, I think everybody had equal play, I feel. I think it's the same as every other year. I just think if 'Bron doesn't win it, then nobody says anything. Everybody hates 'Bron. Actually, everybody loves LeBron. But he gets so much hate."
It's a take that Lakers fans around the world have given over the past four years, and Reaves has understandably joined them in that regard.
One can only hope that the circumstances will not transpire again in which a Bubble ring would be won. The entire world was on lockdown, and the NBA went on an unexpected four-plus-month break around the three-quarter mark of the 2019-20 regular season.
While many have moved to discredit everything that happened in the Bubble, it was a unique challenge for NBA teams and players to overcome.
For one, returning as though nothing happened after four months would've been a challenge on its own. Due to the advisories set in motion during the early months of COVID-19, however, athletes struggled to connect with one another, let alone trainers or nutritionists.
As such, this wasn't the same as returning from the offseason—it was an experience to which nothing can compare, and it immediately resumed with a final push for the postseason.
That established, the Lakers were 49-14 when the 2019-20 regular season went on hold—thus setting the pace for 63.8 wins on an 82-game basis. Whether you choose to round up or down, Los Angeles was certifiably elite all season—including an 11-2 record over the 13 games before the lockdown.
Even if one is to believe that COVID-19 created an unfair competitive environment, the Lakers were already trending toward a championship that season.
James, Anthony Davis, and company started the season at 24-3 and went 25-11 the rest of the way. They finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and actually had more trouble than most once the season resumed—going 2-5 leading into the playoffs.
With a 16-5 record in the playoffs, a 63-plus-win pace in the regular season, and two of the best players in the NBA at the peak of their coexistent powers, the Lakers were well on their way to winning that ring regardless of the environment they played in.
Discrediting James is simply a common motive among those who oppose his success.
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