Towards the end of Game 5 against the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers missed the opportunity to end the series with a 4-1 victory. They would have made history going 5-0 wearing the Black Mamba jerseys. It only delayed their celebration by one game as the Lakers closed out the series defeating the Heat by 13 points in Game 6.
Lebron James finished with a triple-double; 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. His consistent performance in the finals earned the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and he became the first player in the history of the league to win the Finals MVP - 4 in total - with three different teams; Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and the Los Angeles Lakers In 2020.
When James joined the Lakers in 2018 in a 4 year $154m contract, his major goal was to carry on the Kobe tradition and return the team to its winning ways. The last time the Lakers made it to the NBA playoffs was in 2013 when they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
However in his first season with the Lakers, James could not deliver his goal partly because of a groin injury that kept him off the court for 16 straight games. They were officially eliminated from the 2019 playoff contention with their 111-106 loss to Brooklyn Nets. But the King promised to be back better. “Believe me! I promise #LakerNation the spell won’t last much longer”. He tweeted.
And the spell didn’t.
The 106-93 Game 6 victory over the Heat earned the Lakers` first NBA championship since 2010 in their first playoff appearance since 2013.
What a moment!!!
With this championship, the Lakers are now tied with arch-rivals Boston Celtics in the total number of NBA championships. Both teams now have 17. Interestingly, Rajon Rondo became the first player to win a trophy with these two rivals. He was a member of the 2008 Celtics team that delivered banner 17, likewise Lakers’ 17th trophy.
There’s now an official race for Banner 18.
Congratulations to the Laker Nation
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