Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat (Lakers lead 3-2)
The Miami Heat gave an admirable performance on Sunday. Unforfortunatley, it looked like having to make up for injured players finally took its toll. The Lakers easily took down the Heat, 106-93, to win the 2020 NBA title. This is the 17th title for the Lakers franchise and the first since 2010.
The Lakers dedicated their win to Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant. Bryant tragically passed at the beginning of 2020 in a helicopter crash.
Game six was never close. The Heat gave it all they could this season. G Jimmy Butler is now in contention for the league’s best player after his amazing Finals run. PF/C Bam Adebayo has established himself as the best young big man in the league. And head coach Erik Spoelstra demonstrated a top-five coaching ability. The Heat have one of the best young cores in the game and will be back to challenge the Western Conference for the title as soon as next year.
The Lakers were one of the favorites to win after trading for F Anthony Davis in the offseason. And on Sunday night, the two-year plan came to fruition. F LeBron James (13-20FG 1-5 3PT 1-4FT 28PTS 14REB 10AST) had yet another amazing game and won NBA Finals MVP. This title is James’s fourth on his third franchise. This is what the Lakers were hoping for when they signed LeBron two years ago. Once they acquired Davis before the 2019-2020 season, anything less than a title would be an epic failure.
This title was going to have an asterisk no matter who won it. Still, the Lakers deserve their fair share of praise for the way they handled the bubble. Despite everything that was going on in the world, the Lakers played at an elite level and brought home the coveted title.
The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, did an amazing job ensuring the 2020 season concluded safely after the COVID-19 pandemic began. When the NBA conceived the bubble, the world knew little about the virus other than it was potentially deadly and spreading like wildfire. The leadership Silver displayed in making the tough call of suspending the season and then conceptualizing and executing the bubble without incident is incredible.
Other leagues should use the NBA as a model for listening to both the players and the owners while delivering an incredible product for their fans. This pandemic is still in full swing, as is the Black Lives Matter movement. As we learn more, the limits of what the CDC considers safe will change. As the NBA prepares for 2021, I expect that they will once again be at the forefront of innovation.