(Wrote this the day after the chip, but held it for no reason at all.)

Nearly a year after they began their 2019-2020 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers are the reigning NBA champions.

We were told that LeBron came to LA to make movies and ride off into the sunset.
He was awarded his 4th Finals MVP and was the best player in basketball throughout the playoffs.

We were told Anthony Davis was soft, too-often injured, and cost the Lakers too much in assets.
He dominated every series with his superior length and ability, didn’t miss a single postseason game, and the only player involved in the deal to make strides since leaving was Brandon Ingram, whose team irrelevantly finished 13th in the Western Conference.

We were told the supporting cast was a hapless bunch who would not provide enough punch to help the Lakers in big spots.
Kentavious-Caldwell Pope was solid on both ends covering the gaping hole left by Avery Bradley’s absence, Rajon Rondo cemented the ‘Playoff Rondo’ moniker, Alex Caruso’s +/- was consistently amongst the team’s high, and Dwight Howard stifled the NBA’s best center in the conference final.
(Every single one of these signings was heavily criticized by the way, with the exception of Caruso’s deal.)

We were told the Trail-Blazers, Rockets, and Nuggets were too dynamic in the backcourt for the older Lakers to handle.
All were met with gentleman’s sweeps.

We were told Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers were the new faces of LA, and that even if they couldn’t beat the Lakers, Giannis and the Bucks would be the ones to do it for them.
Neither of them even made it to the Lakers.

Before any more gloating, I want to discuss Miami, who I have been pestered not to forget about by my peers for a few years now. They lost Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragić in Game 1 and still took the Lakers to a Game 6. When AD hurt both legs in Game 5, a classic Finals duel with two heavyweights firing back and forth down the stretch that ended in a Laker loss, there is not a Laker fan out there who can confidently say they weren’t at all biting their nails in stress.

Some folks said Miami was a great ball club that lacked a superstar on their roster, and that that would ultimately be their downfall in the East.

Well, they had a star the entire time. His name’s Jimmy Butler, and he was fucking magnificent in these bubble playoffs. I’m glad he landed in such a perfect fit with the Heat, and they will be back in full force next year whether or not they grab another star to compliment Butler and their well-rounded roster.

I’ve already heard mutterings that they’ll swing hard to Giannis, but I think he 1) will stay with Milwaukee on a one-year to give them one more chance, and 2) I’m not 100% sure he makes them better?

I genuinely have to give it more thought, but quick take: the Heat play beautifully when Bam creates out of the high post and/or Jimmy goes one-on-one in the post for himself or for others; Giannis does both, and Butler and Adebayo aren’t going to space out to the three and just wait for a catch and shoot. But Giannis on your team is better than Giannis not on your team, and with stars, just getting them and figuring out the rest later typically works out alright.

But back to LA.

As I said in other posts, isn’t it fitting one of the two most polarizing franchises in the history of the league was there in 2020’s weird, funky bubble Finals. Every step of the way, the Lakers and Celtics have been in their own world somewhat, competing against one another for reign over the rest of the league. If you want to cry and not count the Minneapolis Laker titles, they’re still at 12, which is double the next two team, the Warriors and Bulls, who have six apiece.

Now deadlocked at 17 titles each, the race for 18 will be spicy, with both teams poised to compete every year again for a while. So that’s fun.

Looking ahead, the Lakers first order of business will be to resign Davis, which is all but a lock unless Davis has desires to sign elsewhere. The only fits I see are the Bulls since AD is a Chicago native, but judging from the interview with Rachel Nichols in which he was asked about it, he and LeBron laughed it off, looking like two buds who can’t wait to run it back next season. But again, we can’t be sure.

After that, I think they’ll have to see what everyone else does and respond accordingly.

The Clippers may give up on Paul George after a rocky start to their relationship, or even more devastating, wild-card Kawhi might just force his way out again.

The Rockets seem all but ready to blow it up after parting with Mike D’Antoni, and another sad postseason from both Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Moving The Beard would crumble their fanbase, so Brodie looks all but gone. But maybe they’ll a mobile-ish big and run it back themselves.

Blazers were one complimentary piece away from giving the Lakers real trouble, and the Nuggets are overloaded with dudes they can either package for more star power or keep developing into even better players than they already are.

And lastly, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t remind you to remember that the Golden State Warriors’ run is far from over. The Splash Brothers still live, they have the #2 pick to do whatever they please with, and all this noise disrespecting them is only fueling the revenge tour ever further.

Not to mention the Eastern Conference teams with room to improve. Just so much left to be unfolded come December. Can’t wait.

But for now, my Lakers are on top again after years of agony. You folks who gave me shit every time the Lakers and their joke rosters got blown out by 30 on national television don’t owe me an apology.

But you can keep your comments to yourself when I’m streaking at the championship parade outside Staples, whenever the hell that happens.

Long live the #WashedKing, the “ANTHONY DAVIS IS A LAKER” tweets, the Bald Mamba, and all the others.

Now it feels REALLY DAMN GOOD to be a Laker fan again.

Cheers.