Daryl Morey Drops Bombshell: Why LeBron’s Lakers Bubble Title Might Never Be Legitimate
That feels like some revisionist history by Morey. Then Lakers’ assistant Phil Handy felt that way and fired back at Morey.
The bubble was its own thing, certainly different from every other NBA title — but that doesn’t make it lesser. Everyone was playing by the same rules, the challenges were simply unique to that season and the bubble. That hasn’t stopped LeBron’s critics (or at least those trying to knock down his GOAT argument) from jumping at the chance to say this title wasn’t legit. They miss the point, they miss how much LeBron’s mental toughness carried the Lakers to a title. That matters. While it is different, the bubble should not have an asterisk.“Had the Rockets won the title, I absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required. Yet, everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn’t truly hold up as a genuine championship. Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk.”It’s been five years since the NBA went into a bubble on the Disney campus in Orlando to keep COVID out while crowning an NBA champion.
Five years have zipped by since the NBA embarked on its unprecedented journey inside the bubble at Disney’s Orlando campus—a bold move to keep the pandemic at bay while delivering a championship in a world turned upside-down. Yet, that triumph, etched by LeBron James and the Lakers, still stirs debate, with NBA exec Daryl Morey controversially suggesting it deserves an asterisk—a footnote questioning its authenticity. Really? If you ask me, that notion oversimplifies what was a unique crucible of grit, determination, and mental fortitude. The bubble demanded more than just skill—it tested resolve like no other playoff environment ever had, locking players away from their everyday lives. And sure, while the setting was different, the stakes were no less real. Critics love to cast shadows on LeBron’s legacy, but they overlook how his steely focus propelled his team through a season unlike any we’ve seen. Honestly, this championship isn’t to be diminished by a symbol—it stands tall on its own merits. LEARN MORE— Phil Handy (@94feetofgame) July 30, 2025
In a look back at the bubble at The Athletic, NBA executive Daryl Morey — at the time with Houston, now the head of basketball operations with Philadelphia — said that the title LeBron James and the Lakers won in the bubble should come with an asterisk.One big takeaway at the time — and discussed at the time — was that this was the highest level of playoff basketball anyone could remember. That was due to a few reasons: the COVID-forced mid-season time off to rest players’ bodies, the lack of travel to wear people down, and the lack of distractions and focus on basketball. The challenge was more mental, as players were stuck in the bubble and away from their families, missing the feeling of “normal” life. LeBron’s Lakers and Jimmy Butler’s Heat handled that mental part best, which is why they played for a ring. They can talk all that shit they want. If you weren’t in the bubble to win it they may want to keep quiet about it. Every team came into the bubble to compete and win. If Houston would have beat us and won it I’m sure they wouldn’t be saying it wasn’t real lol.
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