The Lakers’ 2020 championship will always spark debate, with opinions sharply divided. Many respected NBA players present at the time view the title as especially impressive given the unusual circumstances, while some critics dismiss it as less significant.
What shouldn’t be questioned, regardless of views on the legitimacy of the title, is the unfortunate reality that the Lakers never got to properly celebrate their victory. Due to the global situation in 2020, holding a traditional championship parade was impossible—a fact that still weighs on LeBron James.
During a recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, just before the start of training camp, LeBron reflected on his time with the Lakers and expressed regret over the missed celebration opportunity:
“It bothers me, [on a scale of] 1-10, 20. Just to be able to celebrate with the Laker faithful. I don’t know what the route would have been. I’m thinking go down Olympic, just all the way down Olympic and then end up downtown right by Staples Center. Everybody want to call it Crypto but it’s Staples Center to me. It would have been super, duper dope. But we did that. We did that and that banner’s up there. That banner’s in that arena forever along with the other ones that’s been able to go up in the history of the Lakers franchise.”
Even if the team had wanted an extended celebration, the league’s six-week offseason gave little room for planning. Now, imagining a genuine celebration for that squad feels unlikely. Maybe in the future, if the Lakers win another championship, players from the 2020 team could join in the festivities—but it’s unclear if it would carry the same meaning.
This probably won’t happen anytime soon, especially since it’s hard to picture LeBron celebrating a title in LA with any team other than the Lakers. Still, it’s a moment that deserves recognition, and hopefully, the franchise will find a way to honor that 2020 squad properly down the road.
Fan Take: This story highlights how much the global crisis impacted sports beyond just game schedules—it stole a once-in-a-lifetime celebration from a historically great team. For basketball fans, it underscores the importance of cherishing those hard-earned victories and reminds us how the sport continues to shape and reflect real-life challenges.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
