A title like no other

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship for the first time since 2010 to make it their 17th title and are now tied with the Boston Celtics for most titles won in the NBA. However, this was no ordinary title as so many things happened this season such as the tragic death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and COVID-19's impact on the league by playing the remaining regular season and playoff games behind closed doors. As this piece covers the importance of this year's title for the Lakers I interviewed Will Lavin who is a music journalist and a major basketball fan who was in LA in early 2020 to pay tribute to Kobe. I also interviewed two LA Laker fan pages on Instagram called Lakers Legacy Legends and the Lakeshowroom that are dedicated to all things Lakers.

Lakers fans put flowers down for Kobe Bryant. Image Source: Business Insider

When LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January this year, the whole basketball world was in shock and many NBA players and staff were quick to say their condolences. Basketball fan Will Lavin expressed how big of an icon Kobe Byrant was to the game of basketball and added, “Kobe Bryant as a figure is up there with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Lebron James. He's one of those iconic figures”. The NBA postponed the Lakers game against the Clippers out of respect for the Lakers organization. Practices were cancelled and some Lakers players such as Lebron James were devastated. ESPN stated that the Lakers brought grief counsellors to the team facility to provide comfort and guidance in both group and one-on-one sessions. Lavin felt that it was the right decision to postpone the game however, he stated, “If Kobe was still here, I feel like he would've said carry on playing basketball because he loved the game”. Despite this being hard on the players the Lakers were able to win their first title in ten years.

COVID-19 had a huge impact on not just the Lakers, but the entire NBA organization. Games were postponed from mid-March until July 30th.  A situation like this has never happened before and there was a lot of uncertainty if the season was going to resume at all. Fortunately the season did resume however, at the cost of games being played behind closed doors.

When the Lakers won the title, it had a massive impact on Los Angeles as the city now had something to cheer about during a tough 2020 year. Lavin stated that LA is a sports city and without having won a title in years, they needed to get the job done. He also added, that “The title came at a time where we are living in the Corona age. People wanted something to be happy about, and then the Dodgers won the World Series. And of course, cause of Kobe passing away it meant that much more”. The Lakers Legacy Legends page stated that even though this title won't fix everything, the title brought unity in LA as he adds, “The championship didn’t heal the wounds of the losses but it did help bring LA back together again all celebrating as one despite race, ethnicity, or who you voted for as president”.

Lakers players celebrate their 17th title. Image Source: The Straits Times

Even though this title will never be forgotten by many supporters, not every Lakers fan felt that this title meant more than previous championships. The Lakeshowroom page felt that this title didn't mean as much as this individual wished to have been able to celebrate the title with people however couldn’t due to COVID-19. He added, “It’s not the same because Kobe wasn’t physically here to celebrate with us. Every championship is special but this one is bittersweet”.

This season has been tough on the Lakers supports as they weren't able to watch their team win the title and have a parade in Los Angeles. Some Lakers fans were celebrating outside the Staples Center when the Lakers won, LA Lakers president Jeanie Buss wants to have a co-parade with the Dodgers when it is safe to do so. Lavin however believes that it could be a year or two until the situation with COVID-19 eases and doesn't feel that it is a good idea to have a parade anytime soon. However, he adds, “If they win another championship on the other hand, maybe they will celebrate two together. There is a possibility that will happen”.

Laker fans celebrate outside the Staples Center despite breaking COVID restrictions. Image Source: New York Daily News

Despite different opinions on if this title was the biggest one or if there should be a parade, the vast majority of Lakers fans and basketball fans in general agree that the team won for Kobe. The players were even more motivated and felt like it had to be done. The BBC reported that the death of the Lakers legend has been one of the driving forces behind the team's hunger to win the title. Anthony Davis added to that by saying, “We didn't let him down. Ever since the tragedy we've wanted to do it for him and we didn't let him down”. The Lakers also had the Mamba jerseys for some of the games. Despite Lavin being a Jimmy Butler fan and wanting the Miami Heat to win the title, he was happy to see the Lakers win because of everything they've endured this year.

This season will not just be interesting on the court but also off the court. The Lakers will want to continue their momentum and hope to overtake the Boston Celtics for most titles won in the NBA. Lavin stated that as Lebron James is getting older he is “chasing the ghost of Michael Jordon” and is hungry for more titles. As there are now vaccines for COVID-19, there is the possibility of having fans back in the NBA for the Lakers to enjoy their upcoming success.