Media

Pat Riley claims Lakers 2020 NBA title will always have ‘asterisk’ attached to it

Published by
Jonathan Sherman

The Los Angeles Lakers took home what some have called the hardest NBA championship to win in the history of the league.

The unique nature of the NBA bubble brought unforeseen challenges for players and coaches alike. However, Miami Heat team president Pat Riley has come forward to express his belief that the 2020 title will always be marked with an asterisk in his mind.

“I would like to see what it would be like with everybody whole. We’ll get our chance again,” Riley said of the championship series. “The Lakers have the greatest player in the game today in LeBron [James] and Anthony Davis.

“They beat us fair and squarely. But there will be always be that asterisk; if we had Bam [Adebayo] and Goran [Dragic] 100 percent — Goran was our leading scorer [entering the Finals] — it might have gone to a seventh game.”

It is an interesting take, but not necessarily a fully fair one. After all, teams that advance deep into the playoffs very regularly have to deal with injuries.

Just the season before, Kawhi Leonard and Toronto Raptors went up against a Golden State Warriors squad that lost both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the finals series. Still, few have argued that the Raptors’ championship needs an asterisk attached, let alone Warriors president Rick Welts.

Beyond that, the Lakers were shorthanded for the entirety of their championship push. Avery Bradley, their best perimeter defender, missed the entirety of the season’s restart.

In the end, whatever anyone says about the Lakers’ title doesn’t matter much. What matters most is that a 17th banner will be hung in Staples Center and all the fantastic players and staff on the team from last season will get to wear their much-deserved championship rings.

Jonathan Sherman

Jonathan is a freelance writer, filmmaker, and passionate fan of the NBA. In the past Jonathan has covered politics, entertainment, travel, and more. He is a proud contributor of Lakers Daily.

Published by
Jonathan Sherman

Recent Posts

Lakers insider says Jaxson Hayes will have suitors that will try to poach him in free agency

Los Angeles Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes hasn't suited up for the storied franchise since…

March 16, 2025

Antoine Walker says LeBron wasn’t actually ‘unguardable’ in pickup game with MJ: ‘That wasn’t the case’

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recounted a story about playing in…

March 15, 2025

Dorian Finney-Smith says he noticed JJ Redick was ‘a little off’: ‘All the greats are a little bit off’

Before veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and began playing…

March 14, 2025

D-Wade says LeBron ‘put some extra heat’ on Bronny by saying he was better than some NBA players

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and ESPN star Stephen A. Smith have been in…

March 14, 2025

Skip Bayless destroys Luka’s impact without LeBron: ‘Most of his points felt like empty calories’

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic had some big numbers on Thursday against the Milwaukee…

March 14, 2025

Shaq says LeBron is trying to set records that will never be broken: ‘I know what he’s doing’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record recently. In the team's March 4 blowout…

March 13, 2025