Lakers coach Frank Vogel doesn’t accept the argument that this year’s championship should come with an asterisk because of the unusual circumstances of the season, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Vogel believes his players did the best job of adapting to the four-month layoff and the closed atmosphere in Orlando.
“To endure that type of intense pressure environment, where every detail is scrutinized, where the intensity was high,” he said, “to endure those meetings with no outlet of family, or whatever single guys would be doing, without an outlet, was one of the biggest challenges. It was a credit to all the participants to lean on and to support each other.”
With a title in hand after his first season as Lakers head coach, Vogel is enjoying his return to normal life after spending 95 days away from his family. Being on the road is an accepted part of the NBA, but this year was different. Like most coaches and players, Vogel was locked down from mid-March until early summer, when teams began preparing for their long stay at Disney World.
“It’s a really interesting time, to experience that double or nothing,” Vogel said. “Going from being quarantined at home to away from them 24-7 was really a big extreme for me and my family, but at the same time I’m proud it was something we really took in stride.”
Vogel also expressed admiration for the way the league was able to create an atmosphere that remained free from COVID-19 long enough to crown a champion. While Major League Baseball and the NFL have experienced frequent disruptions, no NBA player had to miss a game in Orlando because of the virus. Vogel kept his thermometer and pulse oximeter as souvenirs to remind him of what the league accomplished.
“For something that had never been done before, it was done on a gold-standard level,” he said. “To me, that was the most incredible thing about the bubble: getting that buy-in from 99% of the staff and players. There are things you come away with when you leave, like you felt there was a security blanket when you were there.”
I’m not sure why there would be an asterisk? Everybody was in the same boat. Everybody played under the same circumstance. Lakers came out on top. This is a real championship. Signed, Warriors fan.
There are no asteriks at all in my mind, for any championships. Guys get hurt, guys go down, whatever. Scoreboard. But this season with the bubble.. everyone was in the same boat. Congrats to the Lakers for surviving and winning it all.
Well then … why the asterisk when the SASpurs won in 1999 ???
No asteriks. Ever.
All we heard in San Antonio after the Championship game was that there should be an asterisk because of the shorten season … which was brought on by the players themselves when they went on strike.
Also in ’94 and ’95 they put asterisks on the Rockets championships because of Jordan’s retirement. LA always gets special treatment.
No one does that
No one does that, you’re just looking to be a victim.
No asterisks for 94 or 95. Just the understanding that Jordans two year sabbatical allowed the Rockets to with the title
Jordan was out due to gambling right. That was hush hush hide all records of it.Pete Rose needs to talk to Jordan on how to get back in the game.
Hwmvp, there’s no asterisk to their titles. You are a tool. If Jordan had played, they wouldn’t have won. Apples and oranges, ya stroke
Only reason nba pushed for playoffs was because of Lebron. If this was last year when he couldn’t carry the team there would have been no playoffs
weak so weak
Not a Laker fan. And I thought Clippers were best team. I gotta give Lakers credit. They pulled out best record. Which in Bubble they didn’t even need. Bubble had no hm court advantage. Lakers were locked in. Unlike some teams (Bucks, Clippers). That just means heart of a champion. Like Rudy T once said. They came to play and win. And that’s a big ups for leadership and Bron. They deserve to be champions. They earned it.
Totally agree with everything Knickerbocker said there, and I too thought the Clippers had the best chance to win. Lakers totally deserved it.
And to those saying there is an asterisk, I just checked the records to confirm (not that I needed to),there is no asterisk next to the 2020 Lakers or the ’99 Spurs or anybody. Those are all well deserved titles. This coming from someone who always wants the Lakers to lose.
Good point ‘99 Spurs.
If in person games are played which team’s fans will be the first to launch into an “Asterisk” chant when the Lakers come to town?
Chant asterisk instead of Beat LA?
I think it could be argued that the Lakers had a more difficult title run due to the bubble. They were the #1 seed and would have had home court in each series they had played in. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what way you look at it. Lakers are still 2020 champs.
*champs
They played 71/82 games and were long gone with the #1 seed. Anyone who thinks this title deserves an asterisk is a troll.
Big asteriks, the hiatus preserved LBJ & AD health … No fans, no distractions, no travels … Next Season champs will be more legit
Warriors going to 6 legit finals in a row, run it back
But every team played under those conditions. It’s not like the winners, the Lakers, had those advantages and the other teams didn’t.
Of course it has an asterisk. Nobody with a brain is regarding this as a legitimate championship. The rules were charged after the season started. A bunch of players opted out. I’m sure it’s just coincidence that LA won both of the championships during the propaganda “pandemic”… Give me a break. There was no champion this year, and everyone knows it.
Yes a bunch of players opted out. Including the Lakers starting guard. Not sure if any other contending team had someone opt out. Your just jealous that the title is back in its rightful place.
Signed
Half a Brain #17rocks!
You had me up until “propaganda pandemic”
You’re totally going to die of covid bro, you dont wanna do this dude
There’s not much sense replying to someone who labels it “propaganda pandemic”. Fantasyland.
Im stunned a Warriors homer thinks the Lakers title doesn’t count. No rules on the court were changed. The best player who opted out was on the Lakers. No one the Lakers played had a significant opt out. Lakers were the best team for 72 games and the best team in the bubble. As for the Dodgers, they set the record for most wins in a title run ever. You would have been singing a different tune had the Giants not collpased late in the season and made the playoffs. LA is a city of champions and no one won’t celebrate because some wine and cheese bay area weirdos say it doesn’t.
I bet you were complaining when GSW beat the Cavs with that but a couple Cav players were hurt. There is no difference because Heat players were hurt. So now all you laker fans must admit GSW titles were 100% earned or you can’t claim this one.
Of course the Warriors earned their titles. Gotta love Golden Statw fans playing victim. KD made a weak move for him personally but of course the Warriors would sign him when given the oppurtunity. Dragic and Bam is no where close to prime Love and Kyrie but hey whatever fits your narrative.
Oh please nothing like AD demanding to ONLY play in LA so he can be with his crush. That was weak to turn your back on your whole team and refused to play for them. So don’t even goi there AD was a snake. Dragic was the Heats top scorer and Bam was their top defensive player. So stop playing the LeBron whine its getting old and tiresome
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Oh please nothing like AD demanding to ONLY play in LA so he can be with his crush. That was weak to turn your back on your whole team and refused to play for them. So don’t even goi there AD was a snake. Dragic was the Heats top scorer and Bam was their top defensive player. So stop playing the LeBron whine its getting old and tiresome
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Dude we sucked for 7 years. No Laker fans were dissing yours or anyone else’s titles. If anything we were jealous that y’all had what’s rightfully ours (winning 17 titles does make one arrogant). Seems like your the one with a problem with us winning. Hopefully the a Warriors bounce back next season, Lakers relish the challenge.
Not talking laker fans but LeBron fans. Just pointing out the irony of them saying GSW championship should have a astrek on it. In 20 years nobody will be even talking about a astrek in front of GSW or Lakers.
NOPE, if KD’s rings “dont count” then this sure as F is an asterisk!
Why dont Durants count?
He is talking about the irony of many LeBron fans that complained when GSW won.
One Lakers fan’s opinion:
There is no way of knowing if we would have had a different NBA champion if the season had not been interrupted. We’ll never know that, we can only speculate.
But… the Lakers were playing very well when the season was suspended and had just beaten the Bucks and the Clippers, widely considered the other two top teams. We would have been one of the top contenders even without the bubble and the added time to rest our veterans. We had the best record in the West and second best in the entire league. Every team had to deal with the same unusual circumstances. Maybe things would have been different, maybe not. I can admit that we’ll never know what might have happened, but to me that does not mean an asterisk. The Lakers did not come out of left field, they were one of the co-favorites all along and also had Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Everything was equal for all teams.
Good luck to everybody, stay safe, stay happy!
The heat owned the bucks during the regular season. They continues dominance against them in playoffs
EVERY TEAM PLAYED UNDER SAME CONDITIONS.
What’s so tough to understand about that ??
What special scenario did the Lakers play Under and the other teams didn’t or the heat for that matter, who made it to the finals?
I never cared for the Lakers. I can’t stand BRON BRON. The Lakers played basically 2 seasons. Start and stop and start. They and it is hard to say EARNED THAT CHAMPIONSHIP. It was the tell of 2 seasons and it had to be a mental grinder. The Dodgers in baseball should have am asterisk. They played 40%. Who cares it should be considered a tournament win and nothing else. It rings hollow. It was all about the money.
This may be hard for you to comprehend but the NBA playoffs is always a tournament. Your argument for the Dodgers is they only played 40% of a season and yet the NBA played just under 90%. Thats more than enough to see who is good in basketball. You reveal your own bias by saing you “cant stand bron bron”. Just another salty hater mad Lebron got ring #4. Dodgers are champions too.
I would respond but I think you need an English class
What’s very funny is, so many are reacting to this asterisk-thing, which came from a press-conference …….. which I’m very sure nobody (else) watched in its entirety.
I did watch said press conference in its entirety. It’s all about CONTEXT and it was very clear what Riley had meant.
During said press conference, Riley even cited some examples of his old LAKER teams having injuries in Finals (Earvin, he calls Magic, Earvin).
It just goes to show how most media twists and juggles everything up to gain hits ……. and shows how people are easily manipulated by headlines (eff the details).
It was a unique season
Asterisk is obiouvsly, but it’s nnot a shame
watching the lakers was like watching a bunch of dramatic high school volleyball girls. boring