Change My View: The Bubble championship is the most pure championship ever

[Doctor MJ]

The reasoning is simple. The playing field was dead even every game. Neither team had home court. Home court advantage is a REAL thing. The odds show it. That could be because of the gone team being more comfortable and getting cheered, or because refs unconsciously have slight bias towards the home team because of the pressure of the crowd.

NEITHER team had home court. It was completely fair in that aspect. One team doesn't have to sleep in hotels while the other got to sleep in their cozy mansion. Neither had the burden of traveling. The resting and traveling conditions were identical.

The bubble year was the most even playing field ever. All conditions were equal for the teams. Never before have the conditions been so equal. That's what makes it the purest championship ever.

I'm basically with you.

Back when the Bubble was happening, to me it felt like the ultimate pressure cooker of a playoffs where many players and teams proved too mentally weak to perform at the level required. Yet somehow, people after the fact have tried to make it seem like the team's teams with serious professional fortitude to thrive there were themselves the ones who were soft.

With regards to the Lakers, who of course won that title, there's some karma coming back to them because it was Phil Jackson who started this whole "asterisk" thing against the Spurs. From my perspective it was an obviously stupid chain of logic that was only defensible as a pre-meditated lie to get in the heads of his opponents.

Any way put me down in the "Duh! All Championships are Championships" camp. Not looking to knock any of the champs, but all for recognizing what made each one special and distinct.

[azcatz11]

Professional basketball has been played in front of crowds for decades. How does suddenly not playing in front of one make a championship pure?

It doesn't. It's just a championship. The whole pure thing is a media fabrication designed to give more importance to Lebrons' title.

'The players ate / slept basketball and that's all they thought about' which is complete BS since we all know how chaotic 2020 was...it's not like the players were on Mars without access to what was going on, on Earth lol

[PhilBlackson]

Without the tension caused by a home/opposing crowd there's no way this is true.

[Revived]

That was terrible take, random dudes on parks better than NBA players I swear this is exclusively American ignorance problem, some people have zero clue how good NBA guys are, its super embarrassing. We in Europe have better feel, because we see how many levels you need to jump to just reach NBA. Some of our best players never made NBA or were bad at it, but nah man, random American dudes in a park are better than NBA players rofl...

We here have amateur leagues, and some former pros play there, guys 40 year old former PROs like Jonas Mačiulis, smoke any random dude with zero problem, and guys liek Mačiulis were at best Euroleague role players in their prime, they are washed up men now, they still 10 times better than any amateur you will throw at them. But I guess they never played against American Supermen race, these guys are something else in a park.

Americans so dumb, Europeans so smart

It’s the constant European inferiority complex.

Yup I was gonna respond to his comment then saw that and thought you know what “might as well let him have this” and showed pity lol. It’s kind of sad at this point that they have to constantly do this to feel better about themselves.

[MavsDirk41]

If Jordan had won a bubble championship you and the other Jordan fans would have proclaimed it the greatest sporting achievement of all time.

Uh no i would have said the same thing pal. The whole thing seemed like an exhibition tournament with preseason vibes. But whatever makes you feel better about it.

Yes, because all the stars playing they're hardest on every play screams of preseason vibes. No fans being in attendance doesn't hold any weight. If anything, the Lakers lost home court and still won it. But keep crying.

They had 4 months of R&R before playing in the “bubble” and yes no travel and not playing in front of fans is something that has never been done before so there is nothing “pure” about it. But keep being sensitive about it.

[JJ_PR]

LeBron's other 3 championships are far more impressive than his bubble ring.

[UcanUwill]

Americans so dumb, Europeans so smart

It’s the constant European inferiority complex.

Yup I was gonna respond to his comment then saw that and thought you know what “might as well let him have this” and showed pity lol. It’s kind of sad at this point that they have to constantly do this to feel better about themselves.

Basically person of any other country will have some of the best players of their entire nation not be NBA level, so I am pretty sure no non AMerican would claim guys in a street could out Basketball NBA players, It is ignorant and insulting claim, and I explained adequately why such perception could only exist in America where only one league and only best players are followed. I am sorry if pointing out exclusively American ignorance hits you, I understand that it happens a lot, but most of the time it has nothing to do with inferiority complex...

[Bornstellar]

I disagree. All of those things OP mentioned are part of the game. Removing them created an environment that should never exist in the NBA and thus any result is tainted compared to normal circumstances. Sorry but no. I'm not going to say it doesn't count or it's not a real title but it's definitely not better or more pure or whatever than any other title

[RunOKC]

a televised scrimmage is the most pure championship ever?

[Pattycakes]

The reasoning is simple. The playing field was dead even every game. Neither team had home court. Home court advantage is a REAL thing. The odds show it. That could be because of the gone team being more comfortable and getting cheered, or because refs unconsciously have slight bias towards the home team because of the pressure of the crowd.

NEITHER team had home court. It was completely fair in that aspect. One team doesn't have to sleep in hotels while the other got to sleep in their cozy mansion. Neither had the burden of traveling. The resting and traveling conditions were identical.

The bubble year was the most even playing field ever. All conditions were equal for the teams. Never before have the conditions been so equal. That's what makes it the purest championship ever.

Um, they even had to photoshop the fans. That alone voids any argument imo

[Lo Wang]

I agree with OP. This was a once in a generational championship that we've never witnessed circumstances like this ever. Having to wear masks off the court and being isolated from family and friends too. No social life or clubbing. The mental strain off the court coupled with the physical strain on the court..It's without a doubt the most difficult championship in NBA history and the Lakers organization and their fans should be celebrated forever in basketball lore with an eternal legacy.

Sounds more like the easiest championship ever.

[sashaturiaf]

No by your reasoning the purest championship would be a NBA 2k tournament championship.

[titlebound1]

The bubble championship is closer to a rec league title than an actual NBA championship

[DonaldSanders]

I'm tired of all the discourse around the bubble.

It was a championship with plusses and minuses to the situation... overall it's just another championship to me. I get tired of the bubble ring comments and then also the people (like OP) who feel the need to go to the other extreme because their favorite player/team won.

[AussieCeltic]

I disagree. The basketball was ugly. It was like essentially starting the season and having the playoffs after 2 weeks.

Guys weren’t in playing shape like they were when it shut down.

It’s not an “asterisk title” like others say, it’s a legit championship. But it’s the furthest thing from pure. Good chance Lakers win regardless but it was ugly basketball and I don’t know why we have this revisionist history saying it was anything but

[Cavsfansince84]

The only real knock on the bubble ring to me is that I think the Lakers probably benefited from the season having two month long breaks more than most other teams due to LeBron being 35 with a ton of miles on him already and AD having started to get banged up in April so they were able to come back at close to full strength. So I mean ya that did help the Lakers while the Heat ended up getting some injuries but at the end of the day I think the Lakers were the best team. LeBron&AD both had tremendous playoffs. The people who knock it so much should just be grateful that AD got injured the following year and Pelinka screwed up the team or else there's a good chance the Lakers would have won more titles in 21&22.

[MrBigShot]

Playing in an arena with 20k fans screaming is apart of professional basketball

[JM00n69]

LAL had three extra players on the floor in the Conf Finals that year. The league and their media partners needed them in the finals that year I guess because of the lockdown and sudden lack of cash flowing in. Whole series felt wrong, shades of '02. Nothing pure about that

[ScrantonBulls]

Not mentioned enough is the Lakers had the best record in the league that year and to OP’s point had essentially lost their home court advantage but still won the chip.

TLDR; OP is correct but Lebron haters will never admit it.

Yep, this is very true. The Lakers lost the advantage of having home court. That's a big loss and disadvantage. Forced to play on a level playing field despite earning home court.

[ScrantonBulls]

Uh no i would have said the same thing pal. The whole thing seemed like an exhibition tournament with preseason vibes. But whatever makes you feel better about it.

Yes, because all the stars playing they're hardest on every play screams of preseason vibes. No fans being in attendance doesn't hold any weight. If anything, the Lakers lost home court and still won it. But keep crying.

They had 4 months of R&R before playing in the “bubble” and yes no travel and not playing in front of fans is something that has never been done before so there is nothing “pure” about it. But keep being sensitive about it.

So every team had sufficient time to heal from injuries, no team benefited or were hurt by having to travel and sleep in different conditions (home vs a hotel), and no teams got the benefit of home court advantage. Sounds pretty even to me.

But LeBron won it, therefore "bad bad bad!!1"