Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey garnered attention on social media this week for his comments on the LA Lakers’ championship win in 2020. That year, the NBA suspended the regular season ahead of the playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA bubble was set up in Orlando and housed the players as they checked in to isolate and prepare for the postseason. The Lakers won the title, and many around the league downplayed their achievement due to the situation.
Morey outraged many by suggesting that LA’s win will never feel like a real championship victory.
“Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk,” Morey said on Tuesday, via The Athletic.
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After receiving backlash, the team executive clarified his statement.
“I'm frustrated,” Morey said. “Of course, I respect that title. I defend it to people all the time. It's the thing I want the most.”
In 2002, Morey became the senior vice president of operations of the Boston Celtics. He has held multiple executive roles around the league since, but has yet to capture his first NBA title.
The LA Lakers faced a difficult path to the 2020 NBA Finals
The LA Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Darryl Morey’s Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets to reach the NBA Finals in 2020. The team took down players like Nikola Jokic, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
In the NBA Finals, LeBron James and Co. faced and defeated the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat in six games. While some discredited the Lakers' run because of the bubble, others argued that it was harder with no fans or family support
Heading into the 2025-26 season, most of the players from that championship are now playing for different teams. However, James continues to hunt for more rings, playing alongside Luka Doncic
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