Since the close of the 2020 NBA Bubble Championship, significant controversy has persisted over the legitimacy of LeBron James 2020 Bubble Championship. The NBA completed the 2019-2020 season inside a controlled bubble environment at Walt Disney World due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and critics have argued about the validity of the title ever since.
Looking deeper, the controversy may not simply be about the bubble format but possibly tied to negative opinions toward LeBron James himself.
The Strength of the Lakers’ 2020 Roster
The Los Angeles Lakers team that won the championship was far from weak, featuring notable players such as Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Hall of Famer Dwight Howard. This roster’s strength challenges the narrative that the title was somehow less deserved.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 FM, BIG3 founder Ice Cube and Dwight Howard addressed this ongoing debate. Ice Cube, a devoted Lakers fan, expressed his perspective without hesitation.
Ice Cube and Dwight Howard Respond to Criticism
Ice Cube questioned the basis of the criticism, stressing the universal desire to win the championship during that period.
“How do you discredit something that everybody wanted?”
—Ice Cube, BIG3 Founder
“All of them played to get it, and you can’t discredit it when everybody wants it, and one person comes out with it.”
—Ice Cube, BIG3 Founder
“Everybody can’t look and say ‘Ah, that wasn’t nothing.’ Nah. Everybody wanted it. Everybody played hard for it, and the Lakers won the championship.”
—Ice Cube, BIG3 Founder
Howard affirmed this viewpoint, insisting the Lakers were the best team even before entering the bubble.
“We was the best team before it even started,”
—Dwight Howard, Hall of Famer
“Before we even got to the bubble, we was the best team.”
—Dwight Howard, Hall of Famer
Addressing the Record and Perception Disparity
While Dwight Howard stood firm on the Lakers’ dominance, facts show the Milwaukee Bucks had a superior regular-season record before the season restart, holding a 53-12 record compared to the Lakers’ 49-14. Despite this, Howard highlighted the Lakers’ team chemistry and determination as factors beyond statistics.
Howard then voiced a widely felt but less often spoken opinion regarding the criticism aimed at the Lakers’ championship.
“I just felt like because it was LeBron and the Lakers, and it’s like ‘no that didn’t really count,'”
—Dwight Howard, Hall of Famer
“But then why don’t you take away the lockout year that happened before that?”
—Dwight Howard, Hall of Famer
He referenced the 1998-99 NBA season shortened by a lockout, when the San Antonio Spurs won the title, a championship seldom questioned as much as the 2020 Bubble Championship.
Setting the Record Straight on a Contested Title
Ice Cube’s unwavering Lakers pride and Dwight Howard’s Hall of Fame experience fueled their defense of the 2020 championship. Both men, while promoting the BIG3 league, took the opportunity to confront one of the most debated NBA titles in recent history and reassert its legitimacy.
Their conversation underscores how the LeBron James 2020 Bubble Championship remains a divisive topic, but also highlights that many players and fans regard it as a hard-earned achievement in extraordinary circumstances.