looking back: the NBA bubble
Looking at one of the most interesting sports seasons in recent years, the NBA has implemented the interesting “Bubble” to finish the broken 2019-2021 season. The Los Angeles Lakers came out on top, giving Lebron James his 4th NBA championship and the 1st for the Lakers since the late Kobe Bryant won back in 2010. This took place during a time of racial injustice being brought to even more public light, with protests and rioting throughout the country. Sports are an escape for the people who enjoy. Whether you play that sport or just an avid viewing fan, it took your mind off things that would stress you out. While there are many topics to discuss, I will be diving into the season itself, detailing how this point was reached.
Starting off, the tip-off for the 2020-2021 had an unusual start to it. Normally, a typical NBA season will begin during the first week of October, with the first half of the season ending in February for the All-Star break. When players return from that vacation, they play their remaining games to prepare for the NBA playoffs that begin in May. This has been the set plan for many years but due to COVID-19, the season began in during the 3rd week of December. The Christmas games are seen as marquee games between teams that are planned due to rivalries or teams within the same city. The buildup tends to be months in advance, however this time, fans got a week to prepare for the entertainment. COVID also put a burden on the viewing aspect of the league: no fans in the arenas during the games. This was a similar action taken by league officials to protect players from the virus, as well as protecting their fan base and pushing the country to get their vaccinations. Many teams had ups and downs throughout the condensed season, but the goal was still the same regardless of the circumstances: hoisting up the Larry O’Brian trophy.
Most teams you would assume being at the top of their respective conference ranks were there. The defending champion Lakers were the #2 seed around February, with teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets behind them by 3-5 games. Still in the west, there were newcomers at the top of conferences, mainly the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz. The Suns would finish #2 and the Jazz #1. You are probably wondering: what happened to the Lakers? Well, LeBron James injured his ankle severely and the training staff wanted him to rehab as much as possible, so the load of the team went towards Anthony Davis, the team’s second option. Sadly, Davis would experience ankle and groin injuries after LeBron’s, leaving the team with merely role players and bench players who are not normally in the rotation. This caused their seeding in the standings to drop tremendously to the #7 spot and must fight for a chance to be in the playoffs. Their season ended in 5 games in their first round series against the Suns.
Injuries can make or break a team’s chances at a title. You need a healthy squad to catch fire and be game ready every night they are on the floor. The Lakers are just one example of injuries affecting a team with championship aspirations. The Trail Blazers experienced some early injuries as they were gaining traction. The Brooklyn Nets always dealt with their multiple superstars in and out of the lineup due to injuries, but this was to preserve them for the playoffs. There’s multiple storylines and details to get into about this season, but a broad overview was more than enough to give a casual a glimpse of the NBA.
