In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread through the United States and the rest of the world, it became clear that everyday life would have to be disrupted in order to protect an immunologically naive population. Thus, the NBA made the stunning decision to suspend its season on March 11.
The league then figured out whether the season could be resumed, and if so, how it could continue. The decision was made to complete the 2019-20 campaign inside of what was called a “bubble” at Walt Disney World Resort.
Critics felt it wouldn’t work, that the novel coronavirus would somehow seep through. But thanks to stringent health and safety measures, the pathogen didn’t make it in, and the NBA was able to crown the Los Angeles Lakers as champions.
Now that the pandemic has receded and progressed into a more endemic phase, Disney and ESPN will be producing a documentary about the life and times of the “bubble” playoffs.
Disney and ESPN are developing the official "The Bubble" documentary that will give "a behind-the-scenes look at the 2020 Pandemic-era NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals in quarantine at the Walt Disney World Resort." pic.twitter.com/Gz7et2XvTx
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 24, 2024
A few years later, many still discount the Lakers’ 2020 championship because of the four-month pause before the bubble opened and because there was no travel or any fans during the playoffs.
However, the fact is that the Lakers proved from early that season that they were the best team in basketball. They got off to a 24-3 start, and they had five winning streaks that lasted at least seven games.
Just before the season was suspended, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished with the best regular season record that year, and the Los Angeles Clippers, who were big favorites to win the world title, in a span of under 48 hours. That weekend reinforced the notion that the Lakers were ready to win it all, even before the season was paused.