Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley reacted to his team winning the NBA title on Sunday night even though he was not with the club.
Bradley had opted out of the NBA’s restart in the Orlando, Fla. bubble, but he was still excited to see his teammates come away with the championship.
“Everyone was going crazy,” Bradley said over the phone on Sunday night. “Everyone was excited. My wife was excited.”
Bradley’s absence from the bubble allowed the Lakers to bring in guard J.R. Smith. Smith played a limited role in the final eight games of the regular season, as well as the postseason.
“I think it is something that is hard, obviously, not being there,” Bradley said. “But I think from the beginning I’ve been able to be at peace.”
Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka told Bradley that he certainly was a part of the team’s victory. After all, Bradley played a huge role in helping the Lakers get the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
“He was just letting me know I am a part of it,” Bradley said of his call with Pelinka. “It has been a long season — and an amazing one. And we’ve been through a lot. It was just an amazing win. You could see it on his face.”
This season, Bradley averaged 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The shooting guard revealed that he was still engaged in this postseason as well, even though he wasn’t with the team.
“I watched every single game,” Bradley said. “I am still a Laker.”
