Fact-check: Adam Silver erases NBA bubble season from record books?! Viral video debunked after "significant tampering" claims
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in 2020 that a "Bubble Tournament" would be held in Florida to determine the winner of that season's championship. The pandemic forced the league to be creative in finishing what could have been a lost season.
Buttcrack Sports came up with another brilliant troll job that had some fans in utter disbelief and confusion.
"We came to a unanimous decision to discard the NBA bubble season from the record books. All statistics and accolades will be erased. This is because new information has come to light that a magnet was set in game balls and on the rim during the finals. The investigation was held over the past year by private investigators hired by the NBA. Their search inluded significant tamperings."
BREAKING: Adam Silver announces that the NBA Bubble season has been erased after investigation found "significant tampering". https://t.co/sdLyK8DsOC
A closer look at the video shows that everything Adam Silver said was ingeniously dubbed. The reality is the opposite of what Silver is supposed to be saying in this clip.
Several players pushed back on Silver's plan to organize the bubble tournament. But when LeBron James tweeted that he was playing, things started to move faster than some expected.
The league reportedly invested $190 million to allow the season to continue. Three exhibition games were held to start the unique setup. The teams inside Disney World played eight regular-season games to determine the playoff matchups.
For the first time in league history, there was no real "home court" advantage for teams with higher win-loss records. The postseason started on Aug. 17 while the championship series started on Sept. 30.
The LA Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the 2020 NBA Finals. LA's sensational trade for the former New Orleans Pelicans superstar immediately paid big-time for the Lakers, who tied the Boston Celtics with 17 championships.
Some analysts and fans wanted to put an asterisk on that championship due to the circumstances, but nothing of that sort has been done by the NBA.
If the 2020 bubble tournament were to be discarded, LeBron James will have one championship less. The LA Lakers will still be chasing the Boston Celtics for most titles by a franchise.
The NBA world has not seen the LA Lakers win the championship since the bubble tournament
Since defeating the Miami Heat for the 2020 NBA championship, the LA Lakers have not been the same. They were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round a season later.
LA didn't make the playoffs last year despite the addition of Russell Westbrook. They were basketball's favorite punchline due to their embarrassing season.
The Lakers are desperately trying to get back into the postseason with a flurry of moves before the trade deadline. After a frustrating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA fell to 30-34 and the 11th spot in the tightly-contested Western Conference.
Injuries could again derail the LA Lakers' playoff aspirations. Anthony Davis, who played just 40 games last season, sat out 5 1/2 weeks due to a foot injury. He has played 39 out of the Lakers' 64 games.
LeBron's missed games with the Lakers are starting to pile up.
(via NBA Today) https://t.co/c3Qbwhc1al
LeBron James' status is still uncertain. He injured his right foot against the Dallas Mavericks and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. The NBA is staring at a second consecutive season without its most popular and recognizable player if the Lakers are again eliminated.
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