LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2020 championship is one of the most controversial topics in the modern NBA. Some claim their title run needs to have an asterisk next to it because the NBA bubble doesn’t count. At the same time, the team’s staunchest supporters will feel strongly that a championship is as important as any other.
No matter what fans say, the team will always miss the 17th NBA championship they won in 2020. They have every reason to take this championship to heart.
One reason is that they are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA championships. Another reason is that this is their first championship in a decade since Kobe Bryant last won with the team.
Today is the third anniversary of the championship, and the Lakers feel the need to reminisce. They posted an iconic photo of LeBron James smoking a cigar after defeating the Miami Heat to become NBA champion. LeBron James retweeted the photo with the caption: “What a one time!!!!!”
While looking back on this championship, the Lakers are also working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. They believe LeBron still has enough left in him to make them a true contender.
A look back at LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 championship run
In the 2018-19 season, LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time and went to the West to join the Lakers. Unfortunately, his first year with the team ended in disaster.
The team made several questionable acquisitions, leading to a slow start. Then, LeBron suffered a serious groin injury that sidelined him for a significant amount of time. Therefore, the Lakers missed the playoffs, which disappointed the fans.
In the 2019-20 season, the Lakers aim to rebound with the help of a healthy LeBron and newly acquired star Anthony Davis. They also hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach. They dominated the regular season, which earned them the top seed in the playoffs.
They didn’t slow down in the playoffs, beating the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. They’ve lost three of those games, one loss from every team they’ve faced. In the Finals, they faced a very determined Miami Heat team led by Jimmy Butler and James’ former coach Erik Spoelstra.
Despite the Heat’s hard work, the Lakers ended up winning two games and clinching the championship.
editor
Nicholas Ackerman