This recent championship run by the Los Angeles Lakers was arguably the most unorthodox in history. The season got put on hold and eventually returned with players living in a bubble. The Lakers went onto play the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, a team that not many thought would make it that far.
With the Lakers win, there have been those who have suggested that there is an asterisk next to the title. This could be because of the whole situation surrounding the bubble or the fact that two of the Heat’s top players were injured in the series. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has some thoughts on the notion.
“I spend a lot of time kind of thinking through what lens you’re viewing things through and for me, this one is ‘let’s count the blessings instead of the losses.’ Like it’s easy to think about ‘oh, we didn’t get to have a parade, or we didn’t get to do this yet,’” Pelinka said during an appearance on ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski’s The Woj Pod. “But to be able to have won a championship inside a bubble, and to be with the guys and the staff for 100 days in a row, also provided some extraordinary moments that probably future champions will never be able to experience because it was such a unique setting.”
He then went against the idea that the bubble should have an asterisk and believes that it was a greater feat to win the championship considering the circumstances.
“I think some have (asked) ‘will this championship have an asterisk on it?’ I like to say ‘no, I think it’s got a gold star.’ Just because you had to do so much more to get to the end, and I think it was just a testament to our team (and) the players and our staff coming together in that environment.”
It would be one thing if an eighth seed like the Portland Trail Blazers won the title but the Lakers were the top seed in the Western Conference and have two of the best players in the world. There’s a really good chance they would’ve won the title regardless of the bubble.
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Pat Riley Walks Back Comments
The “asterisk” talk surrounding the Lakers’ title became a talking point recently because Heat team president Pat Riley declared there is an asterisk next to the title. However, he clarified his comments.
“The asterisk is next to the Heat’s name, not the Lakers,” Riley said, per Tim Reynolds. “Their title is legitimate. Our loss has an asterisk (next) to it. The Lakers were the better team. Period.”
It’s not exactly clear why the Heat would have an asterisk but the Lakers wouldn’t. Yes, Miami was dealing with injuries but Los Angeles clearly had the better team before they started getting banged up.
Pelinka Deserves a Lot of Credit
Despite putting together a championship team, Pelinka really doesn’t get a lot of credit. He didn’t finish top-five in Executive of the Year voting and it seems he’s still fighting for respect. While everybody knows that LeBron James plays a role in big decisions, Pelinka’s the guy putting in most of the work.
He did an excellent job building a roster around LeBron and Anthony Davis. Also, his hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach turned out to be the perfect move. It might still take time for Pelinka to get respect from his peers but he’s making it clear that he knows what he’s doing.
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Lakers’ Rob Pelinka Claps Back at Championship Asterisk Notion