BUBBLE TITLE - ASTERISK OR NOT

[yinoma2001]

[Halflife]

[epic_]

At this point who cares?
Lakers got 17.
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💜💛 🏆 👀 🍖 #18!!!

[lar9149]

I think making the point that the 2020 title is * is a slippery slope.

Because than you can argue that the next 2 titles are *..why?

COVID..COVID brings on protocols among other things that aren't normal and it is possible this can effect performance and chemistry were players would have to stay more isolated from each other than usual even if they aren't required because of the possibility of close exposure and having entire teams isolate. Plus testing protocols and the like..added stresses that weren't part of the schedules prior to COVID.

Best to stay away from the * title conversation I think

[AD23]

The irony with all this asterisk bs is ... the Lakers were the team that got hosed the most from the bubble.

If I recall we had the best record in the west when the season was halted.

When we resumed, it was at a neutral venue where the Lakers lost any home court advantage. All teams had the same resources/accommodations.

If anything, there were few to no distractions. You could solely focus on basketball.

If anything, the Lakers showed everyone who the best team was that season and won.

I am sure the naysayers would speak differently if it was their team or anyone else but the Lakers.

Whatever.

[Vancouver Fan]

If it were a regular full 82, we probably don't get the chip. It still counts but it didn't feel like a chip to me.

Plus I loath this squad and this FO.
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Music is my medicine

[Kobetan]

Not having a parade actually bothers me more than the whole asterisk argument

[Megaton]

Who the (bleep) brought this trash thread back up?
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Darvin Scam: https://media.tenor.com/images/3c15249955860a4b16b59e8ae035fb75/tenor.gif

[Outspoken]

I mean there was 4 months off, no fans, couldn't leave the bubble like it was D block, no parade, and the lowest rated finals since the expansion of the NBA. If anyone else won the title I would be joking all on the Mickey mouse ring, but since Lakers won it, I'll accept it and use it in an argument, that the Lakers recently won the finals. I don't necessarily respect it in the modern era though.

[epic_]

[yinoma2001]

Pretty sure we all know who the 4 yes votes are.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[venturalakersfan]

[CamReddish]

[Dr. Laker]

[Roger O. Thornhill]

I'll say the same thing I said during the bubble in another thread that asked if the bubble title would require an asterisk: if the Lakers win, no; if anyone else wins, yes.

The Lakers won, so no asterisk is required. It's not a difficult concept!

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

A great defense was what won that title for the Lakers, along with a couple superstars who were healthy. Then again there are apparently a small number of posters here who have no idea what a great defense looks like nor why that would be important.

This team was beating the best competition in the league after solidifying and playing great basketball, particularly on defense, in the weeks immediately prior to the Covid shutdown. The Lakers didn't need a bubble series to win that title. Flat out wrong to claim they did.

Anyhow, glad to see poll results so lopsided towards not sticking a stupid asterisk by the title.

[lakeshowtacular]

No chance...if the Trash-stros don't even get punished for cheating to get a ring, I don't want to hear about a ring in which everyone played in the exact same conditions. Not to mention, we were rolling at the ASB. I firmly believe that we win that title no matter what that year!!

So I voted NO.
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Magic*Kobe*LBJ*AD*Cap

[Dominic1981]

The bubble format after the 4 month layoff felt like a summer league title for me.

Felt same way with the Dodgers, bc that regular season was only 60 games. It was sure a crappy year for LA to finally break thru and not enjoy it.

At least the Rams got a real normal one

[ContagiousInspiration]

impossible

Who was not invited to compete?
Were the rules skewed to favor any certain team?

Better Title was what it was.. had to fight through a pandemic and mass chaos

No hookers or blow!! because no going off campus or putting your teammates at risk. Some teams had (bleep) players who got their teams shafted for going out and not taking (bleep) seriously

Lakers Won against the whole NBA.

[ContagiousInspiration]

Asterisk was No Parade

[yinoma2001]

To be honest, I think the Lakers were screwed with the Bubble b/c the week before the shutdown, they had convincingly taken down the Clips/Bucks in the same weekend in marquee matchups. They were either #1 in the West and/or close to #1 overall. They were clicking on all cylinders so I think they would have been able to win the title under normal circumstances, and had the advantage of having Staples homecourt.

But we will never know, but we still ended up winning it regardless.

What I don't like is how this ring validated Jeanie/Rob's approach. Look at the team 2 seasons removed from the title. We literally traded all our elite defensive minded players for Russ of all people. Sigh.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[wolfpaclaker]

The break before the bubble helped AD/Bron get some rest, but it also hurt them for the following/ensuing season. The short turn around, you saw a very out of shape AD the following season and the team ran out of gas. But they had a lot of character guys like KCP, Caruso even Kuz who kept the team engaged. So we didn't see the real effects of how much the impact of the short turn around had on someone like AD and Lebron too.

So I could easily argue that had the Lakers had a full offseason between 2020 and 2021 playoffs, they could have done much better in 2021 playoffs.

In the end a title is a title and I'll take it any way I can.

[yinoma2001]

[wolfpaclaker]

I mean it worked out, so who can complain? But the Lakers were #1 in the West, would have had HCA all playoffs until the Finals, where we don't know if Milwaukee would have made it, but they may not have. The rest also helped Kawhi/George, they were injured and similar boat to AD/Bron where the more rest they get the better it is. Only we really peaked at the right time.

We were playing for many things that season, #1 Lebron's legacy to prove himself as a winner in a Laker jersey (Washed King angle) #2 AD's mission to prove his worth vs all that we sent out for him #3 Kobe's death, the tragedy and the doing it for Kobe, and #4 Vogel/coaching staff to prove their merit as championship level staff (being ridiculed for being picked over the great Monty/Lue).

So IMO we would have won 1 title with that group regardless, but really the Lebron/AD window needed to be 2 titles. With better management we probably could have had 2 titles. Instead of trashing the 1 bright spot of the last 10 years, I'd like to see it happen again, and I think it could have, with better management. We really shot ourselves in the foot a ton, and people may look back sourly at AD or Lebron, but you don't win rings without great players like AD and Bron and that season they were special. The problem I have is how badly the management was for the pieces around them, and it robbed us of a second title run with them. Guys like AD don't grow on trees, and Lebron is a top 3 GOAT/Mount Rushmore talent. Forever will appreciate they chose to come to the Lakers and I don't fault them, I fault management for it being only 1 title. Bubble or not, they were too great not to get at least 1.

[ocho]