Los Angeles Lakers rising star Austin Reaves did not hold back when asked about NBA fans downplaying LeBron James‘ fourth championship — and his first with the Lakers.
“It’s not a Mickey Mouse ring,” Reaves said on “BustaJack Golf” on September 18. “… 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.”
Reaves’ bold statement was from an outsider’s perspective as he was still playing his final season in college with Oklahoma when James led the Lakers to an improbable championship run inside the Orlando bubble at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Lakers were not the favorites to win the championship that season. But they emerged as the NBA champions because they were the most focused team and had two-way players around James and his co-star Anthony Davis during their crowd-less title run inside the Orlando bubble.
‘One of the Hardest Championships to Win’
In July, James’ ex-Lakers teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also defended their title run against their critics, saying it’s one of the hardest championships to win given the circumstances.
“They are just hating, man,” Caldwell-Pope said on “The Draymond Green Show” on July 24. “It’s one of the hardest championships to win. You’re playing a season, then the season’s shut down. You don’t know if you’re even going to come back and play basketball.”
Besides the global pandemic, the Black Lives Movement, which gained international attention after the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota, also threatened to stop NBA season in 2020.
“These things like had people’s minds messed up like ‘I’m ready to go home. Forget basketball,’” Caldwell-Pope said. “I’m so grateful, and I appreciate all my teammates at the time, their mindset was on that championship. They were ready to go. They came here for a reason, and we wanted it.”
In January that year, the Lakers were also hit with tragedy — the death of their former franchise star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and some of her basketball teammates.
The Lakers dedicated that season, which ultimately ended with the franchise’s 17th NBA title.
Rob Pelinka Blamed for Lakers’ Woes After Bubble Championship
Ex-Lakers center Dwight Howard pinned the blame on vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka for the team’s failure to win another championship since their Orlando Bubble run in 2020.
“I’m going to tell you who it was. Rob Pelinka, man!” Howard said on the recent episode of “DH12 Above The Rim” on August 25. “God, Rob. Why did you do that to us? Rob, come on. I still love you, Rob. We still had the squad and we could have run it back.”
The Lakers’ 2020 team was stacked with defensive-minded players that accentuated LeBron James and Anthony Davis‘ dynamic play.
Howard played backup center and, at times, allowed Davis to play power forward, his natural position.
Veterans Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso and Markieff Morris were all stout defensive players. Kyle Kuzma was also a solid contributor, though he struggled in the Finals.
Pelinka dismantled the team after injuries prevented them from repeating. Their injury-riddled 2020-21 season ended in an opening-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns, with Davis suffering a groin injury in Game 4.
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Lakers Rising Star Makes Bold Statement About LeBron James’ ‘Mickey Mouse’ Ring