Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey has reignited a longstanding NBA debate by publicly questioning the legitimacy of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 championship, which was won inside the COVID-era “Orlando bubble.”
“Everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn’t truly hold up as a genuine championship,” Morey told The Athletic. He added that the title “will forever be marked by an asterisk,” even while acknowledging the NBA’s success in safely completing the season during the pandemic.
Morey’s comments echoed the skepticism some have long expressed about the Lakers’ run to the title at Walt Disney World, a postseason played entirely without fans or travel after a months-long league suspension. Critics frequently cite the absence of crowd noise, home-court advantage, and traditional playoff environments as reasons to question the title’s competitive integrity. Some have even dubbed it a “Mickey Mouse” championship.
Yet many within the league reject that label.
LeBron James, who led the Lakers to the 2020 title over the Miami Heat, has described it as “the most challenging championship in NBA history.” Supporters of the title’s validity emphasize the mental and physical toll of isolation, strict daily testing, and the removal of external distractions. Coaches and players alike—such as Phil Handy and Anthony Davis—have argued that the difficulty of the bubble environment made the championship even harder to win.
The debate has split into two distinct camps: those like Morey, who view the bubble as a distortion of the usual postseason gauntlet, and those who believe it tested players’ focus and endurance in unique, demanding ways.
Fans were quick to react to Morey’s remarks, many pointing out that he has yet to win a title himself. Others noted that every team faced the same conditions, and the Lakers entered the bubble with the West’s best record.
Whether seen as a fluke or a feat of endurance, the 2020 title remains one of the most discussed and dissected in league history—and Morey’s comments have only added fuel to the fire.