The Los Angeles Lakers were a different team that went on to win the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble. It’s never too late to reflect on old times like Markieff Morris recently did. LeBron James and Anthony Davis allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to thrive when the entire globe was in disarray. However, there’s no denying that a variety of reasons contributed to the result that year.
The passing of Kobe Bryant in January was the event that really acted as a “why” for the Lakers.
“The sh*t that happened with Kobe [Bryant] was like we got to get it done for him… We (Lakers) were one of the teams that was pushing more for the bubble because we knew we had the best chance of winning.”
—Markieff Morris
(via @shobasketball) pic.twitter.com/sz2COuuYP0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
Markieff Morris, a former player for that Los Angeles squad, talked about the influence that Bryant’s unexpected death had on the team’s choice to advance while still in the playoff bubble. According to Morris, “The sh*t that happened with Kobe [Bryant] was like we got to get it done for him” (All The Smoke, Showtime Basketball podcast).
“We (Lakers) were one of the teams that was pushing more for the bubble because we knew we had the best chance of winning,” he continued.
It was really a beautiful sight to see the Lakers win their 17th championship title. The Lakers, a team until the very end, embraced and jumped around the court as purple and gold confetti filled the air. LeBron James was beaming with joy, extending his arms, thumping his head, and yelling aloud. Anthony Davis, his teammate, got emotional and had his head buried in a towel while sitting on a table.
The Lakers dedicated the 2020 NBA Finals victory to the late Kobe Bryant
The Los Angeles Lakers honored the late Kobe Bryant with a tribute after their NBA Finals triumph. Bryant’s passing in a helicopter accident in January inspired and brought the team together through a difficult year. “Ever since the tragedy, we wanted to do it for him, and we didn’t want to let him down,” Anthony Davis said after the title-winning match.
In the incident outside Los Angeles, Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people perished, shocking not just the NBA but the entire world. The Lakers played in ‘Black Mamba’ jerseys on various occasions throughout the playoffs, a design inspired by 18-time NBA All-Star Bryant’s iconic moniker.
The Lakers had triumphed in each of their previous four playoff contests while donning the 2017 edition of a strip, which Bryant co-designed. Despite coronavirus restrictions, Lakers supporters flocked to the city’s streets to celebrate after the team’s victory.
Many fans wore the numbers 8 and 24 of Kobe Bryant, as well as face masks and jackets bearing the Lakers legend’s visage, while pictures were taken in front of a huge mural of Bryant and his daughter.