NBA GM Clarifies Comments After He's Accused of Bashing Lakers

This week, Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Daryl Morey made a point of clarifying his recent comments about the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 NBA Championship.

LeBron James first joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, and was joined by superstar center Anthony Davis the next year. The duo was expected to keep Los Angeles in position to contend for titles every year.

Davis and James only won one title together during the 2020 season, when teams were driven inside a bubble to prevent the spread of the disease. Some have criticized the title, saying that it matters less due to the circumstances.

Philadelphia 76ers GM Daryl Morey was recently quoted by The Athletic as saying about that title, "Everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn't truly hold up as a genuine championship."

After facing criticism, Morey called into Clutch Points to clarify his comments, saying:

"Had the (Houston) Rockets won the title, I absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required. Yet, everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn’t truly hold up as a genuine championship. Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk."

As Morey notes in his words, he was then the GM of the Houston Rockets, who were ousted in the second round of the bubble playoffs. Since his original comments sounded like sour grapes, it was good of him to call and clarify.