Playoff basketball. To many around the world, May and June are the time for the best of the best to compete to see who will be crowned NBA champions.             

But this year was unlike any other year in all of sports. On March 11, the NBA announced that the season would be suspended due to Covid-19. Shortly after this, every sports league came to a halt including baseball, soccer, tennis and golf. There was even a possibility that the NFL would be canceled. Not to mention that in late January, the NBA and the entire sports world came crashing down due to the tragic death of five-time NBA and Laker legend Kobe Bryant. His daughter Gigi was among the nine who lost their lives.  

But then on July 22, the bubble started. Any NBA team that wanted to continue the season could join and play. 22 teams decided to play, some knowing that their playoff chances were done while others entered the bubble hoping to get in as the seventh or eighth team.  

Once playoffs in the bubble started, the Lakers knew that winning a championship for the City of Angels could help the city with their tragic loss of Kobe earlier this year, as well as the rest of the struggles that 2020 brought. The Lakers were the number one team in the Western Conference.  

In the first round, the Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers. They ended up winning the series 4-1. In the second round, the Lakers faced the Rockets. Many thought this would be a competitive match up. With four all-stars going head-to-head, this was supposed to be a series. LeBron and Anthony Davis (AD) unexpectedly took control of the series. Again, the Lakers won 4-1.  

For the entire season, the match up of the Western Conference was going to be the Clippers vs. the Lakers, both LA teams, and both having two super stars. Disappointingly, the Clippers lost a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history.  

In the third round, the Lakers faced the Nuggets. The Nuggets were the biggest surprise in the playoffs. They came back 3-1 on the Jazz and the Clippers. Though after five games, once again the Lakers had won the series 4-1. And for the 32nd time, the Lakers were going to the finals.  

They would be playing against the Heat. LeBron and the Lakers held their own and won in six games. The Heat played the best that they possibly could. Jimmy Butler had two great games. Unfortunately, they just did not have enough to beat LeBron and AD. The Lakers won the series 4-2.  

LeBron, in his 17th season, won his fourth NBA championship. He has won titles with three different teams and four finals MVPs, along with still being the consensus best player in the world. Anthony Davis won his first championship. The Lakers are now tied with the Celtics for the most championships by a franchise. This championship was won for Kobe. With LeBron and AD, the Lakers have many more championships on the way.  

In these playoffs, it was clear that it was not all about the talent. Team chemistry and resilience is what helped a team the most. Being able to handle the isolation from the outside world is what many say was the hardest part of the “bubble.”