"WHAT A TIME!" - LeBron James is stoked over Lakers sharing his iconic 2020 championship portrait
The 2020 championship by LeBron James and the LA Lakers is one of the most divisive topics in the modern NBA. Some claim that their title run needs to have an asterisk next to it because the NBA Bubble does not count. Meanwhile, the team's staunchest supporters will strongly argue that the championship counts as much as any other title.
Regardless of what fans say, the organization is always going to fondly recall its 17th NBA championship, which they won in 2020. There are plenty of reasons for them to hold this championship dearly in their hearts.
One reason would be that it tied them with the Boston Celtics for total number of NBA titles. Another reason would be that this was their first title in 10 years after Kobe Bryant's last title run with the team.
With today being the third anniversary of that championship, the Lakers found it appropriate to reminisce about it. They did so by posting an iconic photo of LeBron James smoking a cigar right after they beat the Miami Heat to become NBA champions. LeBron James retweeted the photo with the caption, "WHAT A TIME!!!!!"
While they are looking back at this championship, the Lakers are also working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. They believe that LeBron still has enough left in the tank to make them serious contenders.
Looking back at LeBron James and the LA Lakers' title run in 2020
During the 2018-19 season, LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time to go west to join the Lakers. Unfortunately, his first year with the team would end in disaster.
The team made several questionable acquisitions, which led to a slow start. Then, LeBron suffered a major groin injury, which kept him sidelined for a significant amount of time. As such, the Lakers missed the playoffs much to the disappointment of their fans.
In the 2019-20 season, the Lakers aimed to bounce back with a healthy LeBron and newly acquired star Anthony Davis. They also hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach. They dominated the regular season, which led to them earning the number one seed in the playoffs.
They did not slow down in the postseason as they demolished the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. They lost three games in those matchups, one to each team they faced. In the Finals, they faced a very determined Miami Heat team led by Jimmy Butler and James' former coach, Erik Spoelstra.
The Lakers eventually won the championship despite a valiant effort from the Heat, which saw them win two games.