On Sunday, Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers played Game Six of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals to take home the victory and become the 2020 NBA Champions. All of the players, including Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, were able to make this possible after six competitive games against the opposing team, the Miami Heat. This championship marks the 17th championship of the Lakers, as well as the first one since 2010.
The Lakers managed to have two back-to-back wins against the Miami Heat, which gave them a solid start in the finals. According to the NBA Stats, they won the first game with a score of 116 to 98 and the second one with a score of 124 to 114. However, the Heat soon came with a win of their own during the third game with a score of 115 to 104. As they moved closer to the Lakers, the Lakers continued to take the lead in the fourth game with a score of 102 to 96 and a total of three wins so far. At that point, all they needed was one more win to become the 2020 NBA Champions.
The ultimate win for the Lakers did not come as soon as many fans would have liked it to come, though, since the score of 111 to 108 in the fifth game brought a second win for the Heat. Questions that were at hand consisted of whether or not the Heat would win a third game to leave both teams with no choice but to move on to the seventh and final game of the season.
To the delight of many Lakers fans, Game Seven would not be necessary as the Lakers defeated the Heat, winning the sixth game with a score of 106 to 93 to end it once and for all. With the Lakers officially winning the 2020 NBA Championship, the players along with many others began celebrating the triumphant victory on Sunday night.
“Don’t ever give up on your dreams,” first-time NBA Champion Dwight Howard exclaimed on his Instagram live the night of his team’s win while holding the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy. Four-time NBA Champion and four-time NBA Finals MVP LeBron James optimistically looked into the future, stating, “I’ve got a lot of years left.” LeBron James also made NBA history by being the first player to win the NBA Finals MVP on three different teams: the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers and now the Los Angeles Lakers.
James went on to mention how the win does not solely belong to the Lakers but to the Laker Nation and other supporters as well. As he walked off of the court, home of the Lakers, he took a video saying, “Without y’all’s strength and without y’all’s loyalty, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
On top of everything, the public did not fail to remember former Lakers player Kobe Bryant. Many people acknowledged the role he played in the NBA through the hashtag #ThisOnesforKobe. In addition, Pau Gasol, a Spanish professional basketball player who also played for the Lakers, acknowledged Bryant and his family as well after the night’s victory. On Twitter, Gasol tweeted, “This one is for you brother, for you Gianna, for Vanessa, for Natalia, for Bianka and for Capri.”
While fans of the Heat are devastated at the moment, the Lakers continue to celebrate their first NBA Championship victory in 10 years with their hard work and the support of many others to thank, along with the memory of a Lakers Legend.
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