There were plenty of doubters this year but the Los Angeles Lakers proved them all wrong with their dominating Game 6 win over the Miami Heat to secure the NBA championship for the 17th time. The team may have faltered and let a game slip through their hands in Game 5 but LeBron James and company weren’t going to let that happen for two games in a row. Pretty much all year, most people favored either the Milwaukee Bucks or Clippers to win it all and neither of them even made the Conference Finals.
Ironically, NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t won a championship but his little brother Kostas now has. Lakers center JaVale McGee took a jab at Giannis while he was celebrating Kostas.
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“Y’all talk about the Greek Freak, he’s the first one winning!”
@JaValeMcGee to Kostas Antetokounmpo 💀
Though Kostas didn’t play a single minute during the playoffs, he definitely deserves praise. Players like him, Talen Horton-Tucker and Devontae Cacok made it through the duration of the NBA bubble knowing they weren’t going to play much. They still showed up to the games and practice every day without breaking any of the bubble protocols.
Giannis Reacts to Brother Winning Championship
Giannis isn’t about to be the jealous type and gave a strong shoutout to his little brother after the Lakers pulled off the win.
Congratulations @Kostas_ante13 I’m so freaking proud!! You are a NBA champ for life ❤️❤️❤️ Way to represent our family and our countries.
Not many saw it coming but Kostas is now the first Antetokounmpo to win a title. Giannis has said that he wants to team up with his brothers at some point in his career. He might have to come to Los Angeles to make that happen because it wouldn’t make much sense for Kostas to want to go anywhere else after winning a championship.
LeBron James Sounds off on Win
While Anthony Davis was great for the Lakers all season and postseason, they wouldn’t have made it this far with the efforts of LeBron James. He was excellent in the NBA Finals and capped it off with another triple-double. He won the NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down.
Not only did he win but he brought the Lakers another championship, which will cement his legacy in Los Angeles for all-time.
“This is a historic franchise and to be a part of this is something that I’ll be able to talk about and my grandkids and kids will be able to talk about. Their paw-paw played for the Los Angeles Lakers,” LeBron said after the game. “It’s like playing for the Yankees and winning, or playing for the Cowboys and winning a Super Bowl, or the Patriots. It’s like playing for the Red Sox. So to be able to win with a historical franchise is something that, no matter if your mind wavers away, you can always remember what you’re doing it for.”
The Lakers are one of the two most historic teams in all of basketball so winning with them is a big deal. They have now tied the Boston Celtics for most championship wins in NBA history.
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Lakers Veteran Takes Shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo After Finals Win