After nearly three months in the bubble in Orlando, the Los Angeles Lakers have won the 2019-2020 NBA championship. The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat four games to two, winning the sixth and final game handily 106-93.
The Lakers dominated the final game, with their largest lead being 36 points in the third quarter. Lebron James had a triple-double with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. James was also named the Most Valuable Player of the finals, leading the Lakers in points, rebounds and assists per game. James won his fourth NBA title, while the Lakers tied for the NBA lead in championship wins with 17 victories in a dominating series over the Miami Heat
The Lakers had four players in double figures in scoring in addition to James. Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo added 19 points each, along with 17 from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and 11 from Danny Green.
The Lakers began the postseason defeating the Portland Trail Blazers four games to one, followed up by defeating the Houston Rockets four games to one as well.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets four games to one. The series was marked by an exciting game two, which saw Davis hit a buzzer beating three-pointer, to win the game for the Lakers 105-103.
The Lakers came into the NBA finals needing to get off to a fast start after dropping two game one matches in their first three playoff series. The Lakers came out with intensity in game one of the finals, winning 116-98.
Los Angeles jumped out to another fast start in game two, en route to a 124-114 victory. The Heat, however, would win game three behind Jimmy Butler’s 40-point effort. The Lakers bounced back and clawed their way to a game four victory with a score of 102-96 to take a 3-1 series lead.
Only one team in history has come back from a 3-1 series deficit in finals history: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers led by James. The Heat looked to increase that number to two by winning game five 111-108.
In game six, however, the Lakers came out and put the Heat away quickly. They led by 28 points at halftime—the second largest halftime lead in NBA finals history. As the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter, it was only a matter of time before the confetti started to fall for the Lakers.
Besides star players James and Davis, the Lakers were full of playoff experience with players like Rondo, Green, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard.
The championship was especially meaningful to Howard, who is nearing the end of his career and had yet to win an NBA championship in his decorated career. He also fulfilled a promise he made in a 2013 tweet. After a single disappointing season teaming up with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash during the 2012-2013 season Howard tweeted, “I hope I get the chance to make it up to you!” Thank u la [sic].” More than seven years later, Howard followed through on his promise.
After the game, Howard, in an emotional Instagram Live session to his followers, implored people to never give up on themselves saying, “don’t give up on your dreams; you can [explicative] do it. I swear just keep fighting.”
In an NBA season like no other, the death of Bryant, a pandemic and a fight for social and racial justice, the Lakers fought through it all to become the NBA champions.
This win marks the Lakers first title since 2010 and their 17th championship, tying the Boston Celtics for the most all time. The Lakers also hold the record for the most appearances in the finals with a total of 32. The championship continues the Lakers’ history of great duos winning championships.
The duos began with Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s and 70s, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 80s, Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the early 2000s and Bryant and Gasol in the late 2000s. Now, the Lakers have James and Davis.
As a lifelong Laker fan myself, seeing your team lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy is a tremendous feeling. I have vague memories of being a kid and seeing the Kobe and Gasol Lakers take on the “Big Three” Celtics, but now I have definitive championship memories that weren’t past my bedtime.
It was over 40 years ago when my dad saw Chamberlain and West win the 1972 NBA Championship after moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and finally achieve success.
In 2020, the Lakers finally reached the top of the mountain once again, which begs the question, can they go back-to-back like so many great Lakers’ teams of the past to win their 18th championship?