The Los Angeles Lakers Deserve Their Respect

     They did it. The Los Angeles Lakers fulfilled their promise to their fans that they would win a championship this season. But there are many NBA fans discrediting the Lakers' championship run. It might be because it was played in a bubble, it might be because the Lakers have LeBron James, but never has there ever been THIS much disrespect towards a team that won a championship. Here, there will be a list of narratives that people have been saying about the Lakers and the explanation to disprove these narratives.

"The Lakers Had a Stacked Team!"

    Are you referring to the roster on paper or the team chemistry? Because if you're referring to the roster on paper, you would be wrong. The Lakers took chances on players that the rest of the NBA didn't even want. Among that list included Danny Green, JaVale McGee, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They had a team full of misfits but had the chemistry going together.

"They Had Dwight Howard!"

    Dwight Howard bounced around the league in the past five seasons. In that span, he played for the Houston Rockets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards, and then was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who then bought him out. The Lakers signed him to a non-guaranteed contract two weeks after DeMarcus Cousins tore his ACL. Yes, it was a non-guaranteed contract under the condition that Howard does not make a locker room disturbance, which meant, before the contract became fully guaranteed, that the Lakers had the option to void his contract if he became a disruptive presence.

"What About Rajon Rondo?"

    Like Howard, Rondo also bounced around the league, playing for five different teams in five consecutive seasons. In that span, after getting traded by the Boston Celtics, he played for the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, the Chicago Bulls, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Lakers. The rest of the NBA didn't want him because they deemed him "uncoachable."

"The Pelicans Won the Anthony Davis Trade!"

    Well, if you were talking about in the long-term, an argument can be made on why that's correct. On the short-term, the Lakers won. In the end, this trade is a win-win. The Lakers made a fair trade with the Pelicans after all: They gave the Pelicans a bright future by sending Brandon Ingram (who went on to win Most Improved Player this season), Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first round picks, which included the 4th overall pick of the 2019 Draft (used to select De'Andre Hunter), in exchange for Davis, who was on the final year of his contract and is possibly going to sign an extension. Not to mention that the New York Knicks earlier had interest in Davis, but refused to give up Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox. There's no doubt that Davis is a top 5 player in the NBA. But people weren't saying that until he started balling out with the Lakers. Before that, it's "Anthony Davis is injury prone!", "Anthony Davis is not a leader!", or "Anthony Davis is not a winner!"

"What About..."

    As for the other players? Markieff Morris cleared waivers was signed to a $1.75M contract via the disabled player exception that was only possible after placing Cousins on waivers. Dion Waiters was signed to a deal after the Lakers placed Troy Daniels on waivers, and J. R. Smith was signed because Avery Bradley opted out of the season restart.

"This is the Easiest Championship Run in NBA History!"

    You've got to be kidding me. In no way was this championship run the easiest in NBA history. Let's not forget that the 2017 Golden State Warriors won their first 15 playoff games on the way to becoming NBA champions while compiling a 16-1 record on the way to winning their title, and that one loss came in the Finals. On the other hand, the Lakers compiled a 16-5 record on their road to the title. The Lakers, along with the other 15 teams that played in the playoffs, also had to deal with being confined in a bubble since July, and players around the NBA were discussing how hard this year's championship was going to be run, so the Lakers' run was nowhere near as easy as the 2017 Warriors' run.

"They Faced the 35-39 Trail Blazers!"

    Well, yes, they did. But are we going to act as if the media didn't label them as "the greatest 8th-seeded team in NBA history?" They all said that the Lakers should fear the Trail Blazers, and that the Lakers would lose to them. They even said that they cannot guard Damian Lillard! After the Trail Blazers took Game 1, the media said that the Lakers are "in trouble." Were they really?

"They Faced the Small Ball Rockets!"

    As a Rockets fan, in no way was I thinking that the Rockets were going to beat the Lakers. It has been proven that small ball doesn't work for the most part in today's NBA. It can be good for generating offense, but when it is for defense, the negative effects of small ball can kick in. Besides, most Rockets fans were wondering what was going on with the Rockets: The drama surrounding Danuel House Jr., James Harden making 2 of 11 field goals in Game 4, and Mike D'Antoni announcing that he would not return to the Rockets as their head coach after this season.

"They Avoided the Clippers!"

    How can you avoid a team that simply didn't have the chemistry to make it to the conference finals? When comparing these two teams, yes, the Clippers have the better roster, but they didn't have the chemistry to get it all together. The Lakers, on the other hand, had a team with LeBron, AD, and a bunch of misfits with them, but they had the chemistry coming together. Not to mention that Frank Vogel is a very underrated coach. He has done well at adjusting throughout the Playoffs, while Doc Rivers has continuously failed to adjust. The Clippers would have been a good opponent for the Lakers, but you can't be penalizing a team because they didn't face an opponent you want to have faced.

"LeBron was Getting Carried by AD!"

    Actually, no. Points are not the only statistic that matters. The truth is that LeBron is a pass-first player. AD may be the better scorer on the Lakers, but LeBron is the better playmaker. Besides, it's been proven time and time again that LeBron IS the best player in the NBA. Let's not forget that the media tried to convince NBA fans that LeBron was washed up after an injury-plagued 2019 season, and that he received ZERO votes for Best Player in the League during ESPN's 2019 NBA Offseason Survey, and ZERO votes to win 2020 NBA Finals MVP in the same offseason. Sports Illustrated wrote a magazine on why he could be the best player in the NBA back in 2005... and he ACTUALLY lived up to those expectations! And yes, I know AD is a good player both offensively and defensively, and finished as the runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But LeBron IS that guy for the Lakers. He is like a coach on the court. He understands that it is a team game and that it should not be limited to just him and AD.

"This is Not a Real Championship Win!"

    Actually, the Lakers won this one fair and square. The other 21 teams that participated in the season restart got the same amount of rest as the Lakers did. Some hockey fans were saying the same thing when the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup this year when the other 23 teams participating in the NHL season restart got the same amount of rest as the Lightning did. But that's besides the point. This was the hardest-fought championship win in NBA history. As stated earlier, the Lakers, along with the other 21 teams, were confined in the bubble since July. And it was mentally exhausting as well!

    Now, let me be honest: I am not a Lakers fan. But I can assure you that the same people that are saying that the Lakers' championship win is a "Mickey Mouse" championship would not be saying the same things if it was the Clippers winning instead. So, yes, the Lakers DO need the respect they deserve for their championship win that was won fair and square!