CBS Sports reporter Ashley Nicole Moss shared a clip on Thursday of her recent interview with former NBA star Dwight Howard, sparking renewed debate over the legitimacy of the Los Angeles Lakers’ "bubble" championship in 2020.
In the short video, Moss pressed Howard on why some critics continue to question the title run, despite the league’s unprecedented conditions and the Lakers’ dominant performance throughout the postseason.
In the clip, Howard did not mince words.
"It’s because they didn’t win," he said. "Why would you discredit something if you did it? Why would all of us be talking about something we won, but it wasn’t that hard because it’s the bubble championship? We won. If another team would have won, they would have said they won."
"But because it’s the Lakers, because it’s a team with LeBron on it, you've got a lot of polarizing players on that same team, it's something that's still being talked about. But I got my ring… I won my championship, no matter what nobody says, it says 2020 Lakers."
The Lakers entered the Orlando bubble as the clear title favorite, having surged to the Western Conference's top seed at 52-19 after the season's temporary suspension amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
In the first round, the Lakers sent the Portland Trail Blazers home in five games, overcoming a Game 1 loss with decisive wins led by James and Anthony Davis.
They then took out the Houston Rockets 4-1 in the West Semifinals before besting the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) smiles while holding the Finals trophy after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard holding the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the Lakers' NBA Finals victory.
Kim Klement-Imagn Images
In the NBA Finals, Los Angeles overcame a surging Miami Heat squad, including a 40‑point triple‑double from Jimmy Butler in Game 3, to seal a 4-2 series victory.
Yet, critics have long pointed to three main factors when discrediting the bubble crown: the absence of in‑arena fans, the elimination of home‑court advantage and the unusual break that cut the season short in March 2020.
Despite all of this, Howard has remained steadfast in legitimizing his title win and noting how, as a team, those 2020 Lakers still "feel disrespected that people say that."