Rob Pelinka argues Lakers’ recent title worthy of ‘gold star’

Rob Pelinka recently backed up the Los Angeles Lakers and argued that their 17th championship deserves anything but an asterisk.

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers’ record-tying 17th championship, conflicting views on the legitimacy of the team’s title have circulated. Because of how unique the NBA season turned out to be, it is only sensible that such an event would come to fruition.

For example, Miami Heat President Pat Riley recently put forth the contentious comment that the Lakers’ achievement should have an “asterisk” next to it. Surely enough, those who bleed purple and gold were not the hugest fans of that remark.

As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports reported, Riley’s comments stemmed mainly from the fact that Miami suffered two key injuries in the NBA Finals. One of their losses came in the form of newly-minted All-Star Bam Adebayo, whereas the team also had floor general Goran Dragic out for the vast majority of the series.

In all likelihood, Riley’s “asterisk” comment was not meant to be interpreted in such a negative fashion. In the grand scheme of things, it is worth noting his recognition of the fact that the Lakers were the “best” of the bunch.

However, the former Lakers’ coach still deserves a bit of criticism. Certainly, it is understandable that if the Heat were at 100 percent health wise, one never knows how the series could have played out. It is quite possible the Finals could have gone seven games.

Riley has been in the business long enough to know that bad luck can occur at any point in time. It is never a breath of fresh air dealing with injuries, no question about it. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to later reclarify his comments and still include the term asterisk—even if it is supposedly more attached to the Heat’s loss than anything—sounds very much so like a man who remains salty about the whole spiel.

Quinn makes an excellent point when he alluded to the cold-hard truth that the Heat played against unhealthy teams en route to the NBA Finals. Perhaps the most notable example of that came in the Conference Semifinals against the Bucks when Giannis Antetokounmpo got injured. While it blows that Giannis suffered an injury in the series, the Bucks have not used that as an excuse for their loss.

Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports brought up a couple of other recent examples of when teams were not at full strength in the Finals. For instance, he recalled last season when superstar Kevin Durant and sharpshooter Klay Thompson could not be there every step of the way for the Warriors. A similar story happened in 2015 with the Cavaliers.

By the same token, the 2020 Lakers arguably fall into the conversation as well. Although he played in every single game in the series, Anthony Davis got banged up on more than one occasion. He was the furthest thing from 100 percent during the course of the Finals.

The aforementioned are a mere few separate instances in league history when injuries have plagued teams. Yes, it sucks in every sense of the word when teams undergo such issues, but it should not serve as a means of invalidating the opposing team’s success.

Lakers’ Vice President of Basketball Operations and general manager Rob Pelinka would tend to agree with the latter statement. As a matter of fact, Pelinka recently went on the record and contended that the Lakers’ 17th title is extra special in view of the type of season it was.

Pelinka specifically called the season “unique” in nature and explained why said factor should authenticate and not undermine the championship. He discussed his thoughts on the subject with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, per transcription from Silver Screen & Roll’s Harrison Faigen.

"“I spend a lot of time kind of thinking through what lens you’re viewing things through and for me, this one is ‘let’s count the blessings instead of the losses.’ Like it’s easy to think about ‘oh, we didn’t get to have a parade, or we didn’t get to do this yet.’ But to be able to have won a championship inside a bubble, and to be with the guys and the staff for 100 days in a row, also provided some extraordinary moments that probably future champions will never be able to experience because it was such a unique setting. So I try to spend a lot of time thinking about the parts of this championship that make it unique.“I think some have (asked) ‘will this championship have an asterisk on it?’ I like to say ‘no, I think it’s got a gold star.’ Just because you had to do so much more to get to the end, and I think it was just a testament to our team (and) the players and our staff coming together in that environment.”"

On the one hand, it is understandable that some folks will do all they can to downplay the Lakers’ 17th ring. Part of it could be out of nothing more than jealousy given the team’s rich history. Thus, it becomes pretty easy if one is a hater to target the Lakers and behave as if this was not a real championship.

Moreover, there have been others who assert the title is not as genuine because they never had to face certain opponents in the postseason. The most common team that gets brought up in debates are none other than the Clippers. Well, as Faigen astutely pointed out, how is it the Lakers’ fault when the “Clippers’ fraudulence” is taken into account?

Heck, for what it is worth, the Lakers’ Western Conference opponent was still a most worthy opponent. The Nuggets team accomplished something no other playoff team had ever done. They came back from two 3-1 deficits in order to square off against the Lakers, and L.A. managed to take them down in five contests.

In accordance with the theme, the Lakers obviously did not have to get through a Giannis-led Bucks team or the rival Celtics to win the chip. It may not look as sexy as a result, but that does not mean Los Angeles is not worthy of praise.

The Los Angeles Lakers accomplished something that has never been done in the history of the game. They won a championship amid an ongoing pandemic and were literally confined in the Orlando bubble for safety reasons.

Additionally, it is important to remember another event that transpired while players were in the bubble. Via Orlando Silva of Fadeaway World, the playoffs were paused at one juncture given the racial inequalities that still permeate the landscape. This particular factor weighed heavily on many players and understandably so.

While the racial injustices certainly affected the minds of various players, the physical side of the equation is also worth investigation. Once the league announced it would be continuing action in Florida, players did not have a plethora of time to get back to mid-season form. It likely sheds light on why the Lakers of all the teams in the world only went 3-5 in the regular season bubble games.

Let alone the Lakers, though, every team that got invited to the bubble had to quickly adapt to the different circumstances. They did not have the typical luxury of time on their side to condition their bodies and subsequently perform at peak level.

On that note alone, one would think the Lakers would be given a little more credit for doing what they did. Without a doubt, basketball is a sport that demands participants to be in adequate enough shape to constantly run up and down the hardwood. It is very much so a back-and-forth type of game, and recalibrating the body is not an overnight process by any means.

The mental toll was all too real as well. In conjunction with the myriad issues facing society, players certainly missed the structure of their everyday lives. They went through long stretches without being able to see loved ones. Granted they may make a lot of money and all that jazz, they are people that have feelings, too, you know.

The Lakers’ team also dealt with a horrible situation before the pandemic even sprouted out of control. Perhaps the greatest player in the history of the franchise, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others passed away in a tragic aerial incident in January. Indubitably, ever since that gut-wrenching day, that stapled itself into players’ minds as well.

Because Kobe gave his heart and soul to the Lakers, making him proud with a title was the only thing that would have ever sufficed. The Lakers made it to the big dance and managed to finish the job in a setting unlike any other.

For those reasons and more, the Lakers’ 2020 title should not be castigated. In lieu of that, they should be celebrated on the grounds that they went through more hurdles than any team has ever had to endure in any season. Therefore, in the spirit of using Pelinka’s vernacular, bestowing the Lakers with a “gold star” is more than appropriate.