Anthony Davis Questions Lakers Bubble Championship

Nearly six years removed from one of the strangest seasons in NBA history, former LA Lakers forward Anthony Davis is still questioning himself about something that very few champions do, which is “did I actually win?” 

In a candid conversation on the Draymond Green Show, Davis opened up about the reaction of fans, media, and even peers regarding the Lakers' 2020 title, admitting he still questions how that championship is perceived.  Oddly enough, one could argue that had any other team won the “Bubble Championship”, they likely would not have to deal with the backlash and scrutiny that the Lakers have had regarding their 17th NBA title. 

Davis recalled that when it was all over, he knew there wouldn't be a parade. "That's the one thing that I missed the most," he said. "We couldn't get the full experience, the fans, the stage, the speech… and to this day, I think about that. Like, man, did I really win a championship?" 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA season was put on hiatus as of March 11, 2020. In the league’s return to play on July 30, 22 teams played eight regular-season games in an isolated “bubble” at the ESPN Sports Complex in Florida, at first with no fans, and then came the actual playoffs, with only a limited number of family members. Add in another three-day stoppage due to a player protest supporting the death of Jacob Blake, and it is easy to see how many players found the environment and circumstances challenging. Davis and several other Lakers members actually called it "probably the hardest championship to ever accomplish," with Davis admitting he still craves what he called "the real experience."

Davis pointed to all the things champions typically get, including team celebration in front of a sold-out arena, the parade, the talk show appearances, and the traditional White House visit, and how none of that happened for the 2020 Lakers.  While the ring and the banner were real, and his name appears in the NBA record books as a champion, the actual crowning moment still felt incomplete and hollow. 

Davis said the uncertainty now motivates him. “For me, it’s like ‘Damn, did I win? Did I not win?’ I know I'm listed as a champion, but it's like, I'm not sure. It motivates me now that I got to have that opportunity again." 

And now, playing for the rebuilding Washington Wizards at 32, Anthony Davis is apparently still hungry enough to chase the version of a championship he never quite got to experience.