Remembering the NBA Bubble

The Lakers capped off one of the most jam-packed, thrilling periods in recent basketball history.

Alexa, please queue Sarah McLachlan.

After 172 games in three months, the Los Angeles Lakers were the last to leave the bubble, crowned NBA champions in one of the toughest seasons in the league’s history.

The Miami Heat fought valiantly despite a massive talent gulf — an inevitable truth when facing a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis — to bring the Finals to six games. But they simply ran out of gas and were run out of Orlando in a resounding 106-93 loss.

Wipe away that tear, reader, I will miss the bubble, too. But to follow a saying I invented, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. The Lakers capped off one of the most jam-packed, thrilling periods in recent basketball history.

The players and coaches hardly looked like they missed a beat after a four-month hiatus, creating some of the season’s most enjoyable basketball that an empty gym can offer.

For now, the headlines are about LeBron, AD, and the Lakers’ 17th title. But let’s not forget about the other amazing basketball memories we got to witness.

Milwaukee’s Protest and Other Social Justice Outreach

The Bucks’ opting to strike qualifies as a “Remember Where You Were” moment that sent shockwaves through the news cycle. It was an appropriate reaction to the horrific, unlawful shooting of Jacob Blake, especially in the wake of other social justice efforts by the NBA. The ripples of Milwaukee’s decision were enormous, other games across every league work postponed, and the world got firsthand insight into how these players were feeling in strife. But more than that, we saw tangible political change. Arenas that hosted these teams became voting centers, and the teams encouraged voter registration. The NBA committed $300 million over 10 years — a relatively small, but not insignificant investment for team governors — towards Black businesses and communities. And above all, it got the world talking about the pertinent issue of police brutality and racism.

The Actually-Talented Suns

It will always be a sham that the Suns went 8-0 in the seeding games and didn’t even make the play-in game for the playoffs. Sure, they would have been swept by the Lakers in the first round, but how do you deny them from any sort of reward? Phoenix was the most fun team in basketball to kick things off, and Devin Booker proved on a bigger platform how special he is, even in meaningful games. At the very least, the Suns have some serious momentum heading into next season. And Steve Nash was hired as the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach, which is kind of a win for the Suns?

The Murray-Mitchell Duel

There is still no passing of the torch just yet — LeBron, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and so on still reign. But the flamethrower battle between 24-year-old Donovan Mitchell and 23-year-old Jamal Murray in the first round highlighted what the future of the NBA will look like. Mitchell scored 57 points in a loss. The two combined to score 101 points in the Jazz’s narrow game four win. If it was the Western Conference Finals, it would be a series ripe for the annals of basketball history. But for now, we can hang our hats on the hope of more battles to come.

The Clippers Doing Clippers Things

The Clippers were favored to win the whole damn thing depending on who you asked. Jamal Murray had other plans. It was a miracle for the Denver Nuggets to come back from a 3-1 series deficit — for the second time — to beat the heavily-favored Clippers. Much less noise was concentrated on the Nuggets, though, than it was on the disappointing results once again from the Los Angeles Clippers. New players, same deal. The “Playoff P” moniker is forever a joke associated with Paul George until he gets a ring. Few people will fault Kawhi Leonard, but he didn’t show up to play when it mattered. I don’t even think the city of Los Angeles wanted the Clippers to win, and they delivered. They traded away four first-round draft picks to get Paul George, and then Lawrence Frank was lauded as Executive of the Year. Results still to be determined.

Luka Magic

We all know how mind-bendingly awesome Luka Doncic is at basketball. The Slovenian kicked it into overdrive in the Bubble. Without Kristaps Porzingis and on a bum ankle, Doncic took the aforementioned Clippers to six games, including one of the most stunning, yet predictable buzzer-beaters of the season. The 21-year-old didn’t give a damn about “playoff experience”, and put the whole league on notice. The Mavericks didn’t get out of the first round this year, but they will be a staple in the later rounds in due time.

Danuel House Kicked Out of the Bubble

The Rockets had no chance of beating the Lakers, but c’mon man!

Miami’s Shocking Run

It is fair to say that even before Miami’s playoff run, they were better than it’s No. 5 seed would indicate. The Heat had acquired Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder, who barely had time to acclimate before the season was suspended. Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn were all showing enormous potential but were still rookies trying to perfect their roles in the lineup. But to wallop the Bucks in five games, finish off a deep Celtics team in seven, and then bring the Lakers to six games while short-handed is remarkable. Heat culture is so oft-discussed that it’s become a meme, but I’m thinking there is a method to the madness. They are surefire contenders for next season.

The King is Still the King

I’m not here to start a fruitless LeBron vs. MJ debate. If you’re not currently undecided, your mind isn’t changing. But the King’s resume speaks for itself. A fourth championship and a fourth Finals MVP while representing the most storied franchise in the NBA. Salute to the GOAT!