Former Lakers Champion Firmly Believes 2020 Team Could Have Won More Titles

A former player on the Lakers' 2020 championship team believes they could have won more titles had they kept it together.

Sep 26, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso (4) celebrates with guard Danny Green (14) and center Dwight Howard (39) against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Bubble was a weird time for the NBA. It was necessary because COVID-19 shut the world down, and the only way to finish the season was to put everyone in Orlando. It was an incredible feat for the NBA that no one contracted COVID-19 and the Los Angeles Lakers were able to win the title.

Winning the title in the Bubble was LeBron James' fourth title and gave him hope to catch Michael Jordan. Unfortunately, the Lakers have not won another title since. The closest they got was two seasons ago when they made the Western Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets swept them.

One of the players on that Lakers team thinks that Los Angeles could have kept winning titles if they had kept the team together. That player is recently retired guard/forward Danny Green. Green was a shooting guard on that title team and was a big part of what they wanted to do defensively.

Danny Green on the 2020 Lakers:

“I think for sure if that team stayed together, we could’ve gotten a second [Championship].”

(via @ScoopB) pic.twitter.com/KYyVgfPPrT

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 16, 2024

Green thinks that the team could have won a championship the next season had they been able to keep it together. Instead, they had players leave that team and go elsewhere for more playing time and more money, which happens every season in the NBA.

Most fans of other NBA teams put an asterisk next to this title because it was in the Bubble. If gave the Lakers three months to rest and stay healthy before they started going on their run. That's exactly what guys like James and Anthony Davis needed to play at their best.

On the other hand, the Lakers didn't have Avery Bradley in the Bubble. He opted out because of health concerns. He was their best perimeter defender. They traded him midway through the 2020-21 season, which was the year after they won the championship.

Los Angeles was a good team back then, and if they had brought back that same team, they definitely would have had a shot to repeat. It's hard to bring back the same team from any championship-winning team. What the Celtics have done this season is an anomaly.

James and the Lakers are still hoping they can win a title this season. This might be the final year that their title window is open, considering the age of their best players. They need some help at the trade deadline to make a final push at an NBA title.

More Lakers news: Lakers See Potential Trade Option as Long-Term Roster Fit