LeBron James still thinks about the championship celebration he never got to share with Lakers fans.
During Friday’s episode of “Mind the Game” with Steve Nash, James revisited the absence of a parade following Los Angeles’ 2020 title. When Nash asked how much it bothered him on a scale of one to 10, James went well beyond the limit.
LeBron says it still bothers him that the 2020 Lakers never got a championship parade pic.twitter.com/bRI5DvV8Pq
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) September 25, 2026
“That bothers me, one to 10, 20,” James said. “Just to be able to celebrate with the Laker faithful.
He imagined a procession along Olympic Boulevard toward downtown and the arena he still calls Staples Center. James was describing the celebration he pictured, rather than laying out an official parade route.
The exchange came during a broader discussion of embracing the expectations that come with playing for the Lakers. His disappointment centered on missing the chance to celebrate with fans after delivering a championship.
The title run ended without a parade
Los Angeles beat Miami 106-93 in Game 6 to secure the franchise’s 17th championship. James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game in those Finals.
The Lakers finished 16-5 in the playoffs, beating Portland, Houston and Denver in five games apiece. The on-court work was complete.
A parade would have given fans a chance to acknowledge that achievement together and the players a chance to see their response beyond the arena.
But the celebration faced a different set of circumstances. Pandemic restrictions on large gatherings prevented an immediate public celebration.
Winning the title did not give the team a date when players and fans could gather for a parade.
Why the missed celebration stayed with LeBron
The Lakers received their rings without fans at Staples Center on Dec. 22, 2020. The banner followed on May 12, 2021, with about 4,000 fans present.
The Lakers’ official video of the banner ceremony shows how deliberately the organization treated that return. Jeanie Buss explained the decision to wait for supporters to be present.
“Our banners have always been about our fans,” Buss said.
James followed her at the microphone and addressed the crowd about the distinction between the two ceremonies.
“We made sure we saved the banner for y’all,” James said.
Anthony Davis then thanked supporters for their presence both before the season stopped and on the virtual fan screens during the bubble.
His remarks gave the ceremony another connection to the championship run: It was a chance for the players to acknowledge people whose support had reached them from a distance.
The banner unveiling restored one part of the celebration. It put players and fans in the same building to recognize the title, even though the parade James imagined remained missing.
The disappointment persisted.
“I already know what we missed and, more importantly, I feel bad for my teammates who won their first championship and what they missed,” James said in 2022. “… The parade is like, it’s really a culmination of everything. You really get to rejoice and celebrate with the fans in a more intimate setting, so I feel bad for, like, my teammates who didn’t get the opportunity to have that feeling — I’ve done it three times.”
That earlier concern adds another dimension to Friday’s answer. A championship team shares the same result, but its players do not all bring the same experiences to it.
For someone celebrating a first title, the missed parade was also a missed opportunity to experience that part of winning for the first time.
The season remains part of the team’s connection with its fans. The Lakers have a 2020 championship replica ring giveaway planned for Jan. 24, providing another occasion to revisit that run.
James’ comments offer a more personal reminder of what was missing. The title can be commemorated years later, but the parade he pictured remains a celebration he did not get to experience.
