Lebron Leads Lakers to 17th NBA Title

Lakers+celebrate+following+NBA+Final+win+%0AMark+J.+Terrill%2FAssociated+Press

Lakers celebrate following NBA Final win Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA championship this fall. Coming into the 2019-2020 season the Lakers were the 4th favorite for the title. The acquisition of Anthony Davis, a 7 time NBA all star, to an already talented Laker team pushed them over the edge this postseason.
The Lakers went 52-19 overall this season and 16-5 in the playoffs. They faced the Portland Trailblazers and Houston Rockets in the first round and conference semifinals respectively. They won both of those series 4-1 taking their losses in the first game of the series but then ultimately gaining control. In the Western Conference Finals they faced the Denver Nuggets and took that series 4-1. Lebron James had 3 triple doubles in the series.
After winning the West, the Lakers went on to play the Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat in the finals. The Heat beat the Boston Celtics to get to the NBA finals.The Lakers led through the whole series. They took game one by a score of 116-98 with the help of Anthony Davis (AD)’s 34 points in his first ever finals appearance. Lebron and AD combined for 65 points giving the Lakers the win in game 2. Game 3, however, went to the Heat; Jimmy Butler’s triple double and a team 91% free throw shooting gave them the edge to take game 3. The Lakers bounced back and dominated game 4 , 102-96. Desperately needing a win, the Heat won game 5 by just 1 possession. Winning game 6, 106-93 crowned the Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA champions.

Rajon Rodon sits on the court with his son Rajon Jr. following finals win
Pill Ellsworth/ESPN images

The timing of this championship could not have been better for Laker Nation with the passing of NBA and Laker legend Kobe Bryant. Kobe and his daughter Gianna passed away on January 26, 2020 in a helicopter accident. Bryant is a hall of famer, 18x all-star, 5x NBA champion, 15x all NBA team, 12x All Defense, 1996-97 All Rookie, 2x Finals MVP and 2007-08 MVP. Bryant’s whole 20 year career was played with the Lakers. In the bubble the franchise showed love and remembrance to Kobe by wearing new Mamba jerseys which were black for his nickname “black mamba”

Anthony Davis dunks over Miami defense in mamba uniforms 
NBA.com

.
Not only did the Lakers tie the record of most championships, but they are the first franchise to win with a female owner. Jeanie Buss, daughter of Jerry Buss who owned the Lakers for 34 years, took over for her father in 2017. She is responsible for the acquisition of both Lebron James and Anthony Davis.
They also won the championship during a pandemic, in a bubble setting, on a neutral court in a pretty much empty arena. “We found a way to play through a pandemic, keep everyone safe and put a spotlight on these critically important [social justice] issues, For every team that deserves to be celebrated,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said before presenting Buss with the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Lebron James during Laker postgame celebration
NBA.com