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LeBron James pushed back against continued criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 NBA championship, calling the Orlando bubble title the “purest” form of basketball during the latest episode of Mind the Game podcast with co-host and NBA legend Steve Nash.
James, who recently completed his 22nd NBA season at age 40, addressed longstanding debates questioning the legitimacy of the Lakers’ 2019-20 title, earned during the league’s unprecedented COVID-19 bubble in Orlando. The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games to capture the franchise’s 17th championship.
“I agree with what a lot of people say that it’s the purest form of hoops. It was strictly basketball,” James said.
James emphasized the absence of typical lifestyle distractions and amenities, noting that the bubble forced players to focus solely on the game amid restricted movement and limited outside interaction.
“We all have the ability to do whatever we want in life. We’ve made a bunch of money; we have all the access. That’s gone in the bubble. You can’t just say oh, I’m about to go to a restaurant or I’m about to do this. You can’t do none of that,” James said. “Everything in the bubble was strictly about basketball.”
He acknowledged the broader context surrounding the 2020 season, including players’ advocacy against police brutality and social injustice. But when it came to the games themselves, James insisted that the bubble tested players in ways that traditional seasons did not.
Reminiscing on the 2020 Finals, @KingJames explains why the bubble was the best time for basketball.
A new episode talking about the most unique NBA Finals ever drops tomorrow, 9am ET on our YouTube: https://t.co/t2qZT2w4vV pic.twitter.com/lXiFjLSQom
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 10, 2025
LeBron James highlights bubble’s mental challenge as Lakers eye changes
“When the basketball portion was the focus, that’s all it was,” he said. “Of all my championships I’ve won, that level of focus — how long can you maintain your level of focus in order to get the job done?”
James pointed to the psychological and emotional toll the bubble environment placed on players, who were isolated from their families and familiar routines for months. He suggested that the challenge went beyond physical performance and demanded extreme mental discipline.
“You have all the reasons if you want to get out of focus because you’re so accustomed to a certain lifestyle that you’re like to hell with this; I don’t wanna do this; why am I here?” James said. “I can’t get a certain meal; I can’t do this, I can’t see my family; I can’t lock in… And you can very easily get out of why you’re there.”
Since winning the 2020 title, the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals in 2023 but have suffered first-round playoff exits in each of the past two seasons.
Following their 2025 elimination, the team is expected to begin a major offseason retooling centered around James and new teammate Luka Doncic, who arrived in a midseason trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
James holds a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season and has yet to announce whether he will return to the Lakers. He is a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, and the league’s all-time scoring leader. He also became the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 combined points between the regular season and playoffs.
