Video: Lakers’ Reaves Says LeBron Winning in Bubble is Why Critics Downplay Title

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 22, 2024

Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

Arguably nobody in NBA history has been under more of a microscope and faced more scrutiny than LeBron James throughout his career, and Los Angeles Lakers teammate Austin Reaves believes that scrutiny is why some downplay the title the team won inside the Disney World bubble during the 2020 playoffs.

“It’s not a Mickey Mouse ring,” he said during an appearance on BustaJack Golf (26:20 mark). “… Everybody had an equal playing field, I think it’s the same as every other year. I just think if Bron doesn’t win it, then nobody says anything. Everybody hates Bron. Actually, everybody loves LeBron, but he gets so much hate.”

Reaves wasn’t yet on the Lakers at the time, as his rookie season came during the 2021-22 campaign.

So he brings more of an outsider perspective than other members of the Lakers would, and he recognized the difficulty of the situation. The NBA season was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic and only restarted inside the Disney World bubble where strict testing and protocols were put in place.

There were also no fans for any of the games, which removed the home-court advantage that typically plays a role in the playoffs.

Yet, as Reaves pointed out, every team played under the same conditions. And James led the Lakers to what was the fourth championship of his illustrious career by averaging 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game in the postseason.

It was a memorable ring, although it likely wasn’t the most memorable title of the King’s career.

That came in 2016 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers on a dramatic 3-1 comeback over the record-setting Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Golden State won 73 games during the regular season but was unable to defeat James, Kyrie Irving and Co. in the Finals.

That win was largely celebrated with far less ridicule than the 2020 championship, although Reaves was not about to entertain the notion the bubble ring was a “Mickey Mouse” one.