NBA plays Finals for Kobe

Zaidyn Jeffries, Staff writer

Normally the NBA finals would take place in late May or early June, but due to the pandemic, this year was different. On March 12, 2020, the NBA had to suspend all  games until further notice. The NBA was quick with a plan to get back into action. The NBA brought 22 of its 30 teams into the bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort with no fans present. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat played in the 2019-2020 NBA Finals. With Kobe Bryant passing away earlier in the year, the Lakers knew it was their time to make a moment.

The Los Angeles Lakers won Game 1 with a score of 116-98. The Lakers knew they had to win it all for Kobe. The Lakers also won Game 2 with a score of 124-114. but the Heat wouldn’t back down and they won Game 3. When the Lakers won Game 4, the Lakers were up 3-1 in the best of 7 series.  Game 5 came down to the last shot; Danny Green was wide open, but he missed the game winning shot. If he would have made that shot then the Lakers would have won the NBA Finals. In Game 6, the Lakers dominated the Heat. The final score of that game was 106-93.

The Lakers won the NBA finals in a really tough year with Covid-19, the killing of George Floyd, and the shooting of Jacob Blake. It was a challenge, but LeBron James said it best, “All I wanted was respect,” and LeBron got that respect when he received the Bill Russell Finals MVP as well as when he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a Championship. It’s been a stressful year for everyone with the passing of Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers got what they deserved.