The 2023 NBA Playoffs have proven the 2020 bubble was no fluke
The 2019-20 season was a triumphant one for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they finished with the best record in the Western Conference and powered their way to their 17th NBA championship.
They had to ensure some unique obstacles, including the death of Kobe Bryant, the suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its resumption inside of the Walt Disney World Resort bubble.
Because the Lakers’ championship was won inside that bubble, many have dismissed it, saying it wasn’t fully legitimate.
But this year’s playoffs have validated what happened inside of the bubble, at least for those who don’t let facts get in the way of their opinions.
The Lakers are back in the Western Conference Finals after a slew of mid-season trades and impressive victories over the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in the first two rounds of the playoffs. There, they will face the Denver Nuggets, their opponent in the same round in 2020.
The Eastern Conference Finals will feature the Miami Heat, the big unexpected success story of the bubble, and the Boston Celtics, whom they faced in that year’s conference finals. The Heat have gotten there with relative ease, getting past the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, just as they did in 2020.
Then, as was the case this year, the Bucks boasted the best record in the NBA and were heavily favored versus Miami.
It has all resulted in the exact same final four that the NBA had in the bubble. As a result, it could end up with the same Lakers-Heat matchup in the championship series that it had then. Or, it could get the most classic and attractive matchup anyone could ever hope for in the Lakers and the Celtics.
Playing in the bubble wasn’t the least bit easy, and Los Angeles certainly earned its world title that October. Perhaps it will have another one to celebrate in about a month.
