The summer of 2019 was one of the most impactful offseasons of all time, with some huge names moving teams and changing the entire landscape of the NBA. The Raptors had just won the NBA championship and the Golden State Warriors era with Kevin Durant came to an end, with KD choosing to join up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn instead.
Anthony Davis was traded after months of speculation, joining LeBron James as a Los Angeles Laker, and the triumphant Kawhi Leonard was able to get Paul George to team up with him on the Los Angeles Clippers. These three teams were expected to compete in the NBA finals in some variation, especially after Durant became healthy in 2020, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
Injuries for the Clippers, turmoil, injuries for the Nets, and some bad recent roster moves for the Lakers mean that none have been competitive this season. However, the Lakers are the only team out of the three to win the championship, doing so in 2020. NBA fans on Instagram debated which team is the best, with many rightly pointing out that the Lakers are the only ones with tangible success.
“In the summer of 2019, these Big Two’s were formed, Lakers are still the only ones with a championship.”
“But Lakers and Lebron are the ones that get the most criticism by the media.”
“Haters will say Mickey Mouse ring but we gotta way more for y’all in the incoming years.”
“And people try to clown Lebron and AD. They did they job.”
“All them either choked or didn’t make the playoffs.”
“Sure, but it was a bubble ring with no parade.”
“The other two were really unlucky.”
“The Clippers have just been unlucky, they would’ve won last season if not for the Kawhi injury.”
“Bubble championship isn’t real.”
“The Lakers are the only champions here.”
“The Lakers slander gotta stop, can’t compare them to these others.”
LeBron James and Anthony Davis along with the other Lakers, have received a ton of slander for failing next season, but the moves they made are validated by the championship they won. Bubble or not, winning a championship is incredibly hard, and the fact that they managed to do it is not praised often enough. All 3 teams have a big season coming next year though, and failing again is simply not an option.
