It’s been almost four years since the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship in the Bubble in 2020. Since then, many have been wondering if that title really counts. Recently, Austin Reaves, a young player on the Lakers, shared what he thinks about it.
He feels that LeBron James plays a huge role in why some people don’t give the championship the credit it deserves. Reaves thinks that the unique circumstances of the bubble made it harder for some fans to accept it as a legit win, but he believes the Lakers still worked hard to earn that title.
He said on BustaJack Golf, “The only reason it gets discredited is because LeBron James was the one who won.”
Reaves disagrees with calling it a “Mickey Mouse ring,” as he believes all teams had the same conditions in the bubble, so the title is just as real as any other year, saying, “It’s not a Mickey Mouse ring… I don’t want to say it’s the hardest, and I mean, everybody had an equal playing field; 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.“
In the 2020 playoffs, LeBron starred for the Lakers, averaging 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, shooting 56.0% from the field. These numbers show how important he was to the Lakers’ success and push back against claims that they didn’t deserve the championship.
Austin Reaves Reflects On LeBron James Critics And His Change of Heart
Austin Reaves believes many doubts about the title come from that LeBron won it. He mentions that LeBron has many critics who want to downplay his achievements, a view Reaves once shared. Reaves grew up as a fan of Kobe Bryant and initially didn’t like LeBron. However, his perspective changed after the Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.
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He recalled when he stopped disliking LeBron, mentioning that he asked him about his best year—not in terms of championships, but focusing on peak athleticism, skill, and knowledge. Reaves believes that year was when LeBron lost to Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry in the Finals. That was when he finally stopped hating LeBron.
Reaves didn’t specify if he was referring to the 2017 or 2018 Finals. LeBron excelled in both but couldn’t prevent the Cavaliers from losing to the dominant Warriors, led by Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Reaves now wants to help LeBron win a fifth championship, but it looks like the Lakers will have a tough time next season.
