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Fans fire back after Danny Green calls Lakers’ 2020 title ‘by far’ the hardest championship

Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
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Danny Green has reignited debate over the Lakers’ 2020 championship after calling the bubble title the toughest ring of his NBA career.

The former Lakers guard won three championships during his career, with the Spurs in 2014, Raptors in 2019 and Lakers in 2020.

That résumé gives his view weight. It also makes his latest defense of the Orlando bubble title exactly the kind of comment fans were always going to challenge.

St. John's men's basketball coach Rick Pitino talks with Danny Green #14 of the Cleveland Cavaliers before Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on April 23, 2023 in New York City.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Danny Green Lakers 2020 title claim sparks NBA bubble debate

Bleacher Report shared Green’s defense of the Lakers’ 2020 championship, which remains one of the most argued title runs in modern NBA history.

“It was by far the hardest championship that I had to achieve. That was an iconic, legendary team. I think we would have won regardless if it was the bubble or not.”

Green’s point is built around the mental strain of the bubble. Players spent weeks isolated at Walt Disney World in Florida, away from normal routines, family access and the energy of packed arenas.

The Lakers still had to beat everyone in front of them. They defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals, with LeBron James winning Finals MVP at 35 and Anthony Davis anchoring the run in his first Lakers season.

Lakers fans and critics split over Mickey Mouse ring debate

The backlash came fast because the 2020 title has always lived between two arguments. Some fans see it as a pure basketball test, while others believe the setting helped the Lakers.

One fan said, “I PROMISE you, you weren’t winning if it wasn’t the bubble.”

Another one added, “And people still have the nerve to call it a mickey mouse ring…”

A third one said, “People forget that Lakers title run had the Kobe pressure, the bubble isolation, no home crowds, and LeBron at 35 playing every game like a must win 🔥”

“Yeah ok no travel for him James paid him to say it,” another added.

Danny Green career gives Lakers title defense more context

Green is not speaking as a one-ring role player protecting one memory. He won with San Antonio, Toronto and Los Angeles, which makes his comparison more useful.

The counterargument is still real. The bubble removed travel, road crowds and the normal grind, while the season pause gave players time to heal before the restart.

That is why the debate never dies. The Lakers’ 2020 title counts officially, but Green’s claim that it was the hardest championship will keep giving fans a reason to fire back.