When the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title in 2020, everything seemed to be going well for the team’s future. Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were working well together, surrounded by a group of very solid role players.
However, in the summer following the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers dismantled their championship core. Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka began to change the team instead of letting the players take charge.
Even without the NBA bubble, the Lakers were one of the best teams in the NBA before the shutdown. Los Angeles had depth at every position, but Pelinka believed an upgrade was needed.
Former Lakers center Dwight Howard opens up about the 2020 team and criticized Pelinka for not allowing them to compete for a new title.
“After we won, they started making roster changes. I’ll tell you who it was: Rob Pelinka, man. My God, Rob, why did you do that to us, man? Rob, come on, man. I still love you, Rob, but man, man. We had the team, man. Even if we could have gotten back on our feet, we could have done it. We would have been healthier the following year.”
Howard was one of the players who didn’t return after the Lakers won the championship. He returned to the Lakers in the 2021-22 season, but the team had already been dismantled by then.
Many wanted the Lakers to get things back on track or at least bring back most of their core. Pelinka and management had other ideas.
Thanks to Pelinka, the 2020-21 team was one of the best in the NBA before injuries struck. James and Davis both missed significant time during the year and Los Angeles stumbled to become the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.
The Lakers took a 2-1 lead against the Phoenix Suns in the first round, but Davis’ injury dashed any hope of victory. Most people believe that if Davis had not been injured, the Lakers would have at least been able to make the NBA Finals that season.
We’ll never know what might have happened if the 2020 team hadn’t been disbanded, but it’s clear that some players still haven’t gotten over it. Los Angeles hasn’t won a title since 2020, so maybe they were right.
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