The 2019-20 NBA season will go down as one of the most unique ever, with the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Miami Heat inside the Orlando bubble to capture their 17th championship in franchise history.
The Lakers roster was headlined by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, with several other veterans emerging as key contributors over the course of the season.
However, the group didn’t get to spend much time together as Danny Green, Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo were all let go before the start of the 2020-21 season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes the Lakers would have won multiple titles if the front office didn’t make so many changes that offseason, via “Above The Rim with DH 12:”
“That team, we had a lot of moments where everything just clicked for us. Off the court, on the court, inviting to each other’s houses, we were just hanging out with each other. Those were my brothers, I spent more time with my team than my family… I think if we kept that team together, we would’ve run off two more… There would be no more GOAT talk, that would’ve put [LeBron] at six.”
Caldwell-Pope became the latest player to express such a belief as Howard previously said the Lakers would have three-peated if the 2019-20 roster wasn’t split up.
Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss also recently admitted that she wishes the Lakers ran it back with that team as opposed to bringing in so many new players.
The Lakers jumped out to a 21-6 start during the 2020-21 season, but injuries then set in after essentially having no offseason due to the pandemic.
L.A. never able to recover, losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round with both James and Davis compromised physically. Since then, the Lakers have made one Western Conference Finals appearance but have not been true title contenders.
Jeanie Buss reveals plans to honor 2020 Lakers
The 2019-20 Lakers championship team will forever have a special place in fans’ hearts, but they were robbed of a chance at a parade and celebration due to the pandemic.
That is something Jeanie Buss still thinks about to this day and she would like to find a way to honor that 2020 team if the organization wins another title.
Although the Lakers fell short this season, the hope is that a championship can come sooner than later with Luka Doncic now leading the way into the next era for L.A.
