NBA
LeBron James Admits ‘Golden State May Beat Us By 100’ in Bubble Championship Scenario
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sports7 in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
Get to know Stephen Sheehan betterUpdated03 Dec 2020
By leading the LA Lakers to their 17th NBA title in franchise history, LeBron James added a fourth championship ring to his collection. But the four-time NBA Finals MVP knows that playing in the bubble made a huge difference this time around.
In fact, he put everything in perspective by bringing up the 2016 NBA Finals. And let's just say James thinks the epic series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors would have ended much differently if the two teams had played in a bubble championship scenario.
The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals
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LeBron James finally got his taste of championship glory with the Miami Heat. But after winning two rings in four years with the franchise, the Ohio native took his talents back to Cleveland.
James promptly led the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals appearance against the Warriors. However, Stephen Curry and Co. proved too much for Cleveland to handle. Golden State captured its first championship since the 1974-75 season by taking down James and his lackluster supporting cast in six games.
Ironically, the two teams met again in the 2016 NBA Finals. This time around, though, James wouldn't walk away in defeat.
Although the Warriors won the first two games in convincing fashion, they suffered a 30-point road loss in Game 3. Curry responded by pouring in 38 points to give Golden State a commanding 3-1 series lead.
With their NBA title dreams fading away, the Cavaliers staged a furious comeback. After extending the series to a seventh game, Cleveland completed its championship run thanks to a clutch fourth-quarter shot by Kyrie Irving.
LeBron James knows a bubble championship scenario would have played out much differently
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LeBron James just won his fourth NBA title, albeit under very different circumstances. Instead of competing in front of tens of thousands of fans, NBA players got cheered on by a virtual crowd. Plus, teams didn't have to travel or deal with home-court advantage issues.
The topic of a bubble championship came up during James' recent appearance on the Road Trippin' podcast. In catching up with former teammate Richard Jefferson, he explained how differently the 2016 NBA Finals would have gone if the Cavaliers and Warriors had been forced to play under similar circumstances as NBA players did in 2020.
“If we're down 3-1 in '16, and we're not going back to Cleveland, Golden State may have beat us by 100,” James said.
Obviously, having home-court advantage played a significant role in the Cavaliers' title run. In a win-or-go-home scenario, Cleveland won by 14 points to tie the series at three games apiece before Irving's shot silenced the Warriors' home crowd in Game 7.
In a bubble scenario, the Cavaliers may very well have lost Game 6 without the benefit of fans in the stands. But luckily for the Lakers and their biggest star, it won't matter where the 2021 NBA Finals take place. Because barring a major injury to James or Anthony Davis, LA should have no trouble capturing its second straight championship.
Expect the Lakers to take home another NBA title this season
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The Lakers officially secured their title dreams this week by locking up LeBron James and AD on long-term deals. That capped off a series of impressive offseason moves by general manager Rob Pelinka.
Since winning the NBA Finals, LA has gone to work reshuffling its roster.
The Lakers stole Montrezl Harrell from the LA Clippers on a two-year contract. He should earn plenty of playing time as a high-impact bench player.
In addition, the Lakers added another dynamic player in Dennis Schroder. The 27-year-old shot a career-high 46.9% from the field last season. He also connected on a personal-best 38.5% of his 3-point attempts. Schroder and Alex Caruso give the Lakers two rock-solid options at point guard.
Overall, the Lakers boast not only tremendous star power but also incredible depth. With a bench that includes Wesley Matthews, Kyle Kuzma, and Markieff Morris, LA can afford to rest James and Davis more during the regular season to keep them fresh for another title run.
Expect the Lakers to add another championship banner to their collection. And don't be surprised if James and AD win a couple more rings together before the NBA icon calls it a career.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.
