SUMMARY
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After 10 long years, the Los Angeles Lakers are back at the peak of the NBA mountain as they conquered the headstrong underdog Miami Heat in 6 games to win the 2020 NBA championship.
It has been a wild ride from the literal bottom of the league’s cellar back to the top, and understandably, this feat has gotten the stars buzzing on social media.
As one of the most vocal supporters of the team he won 5 championships with, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson tweeted up a storm after the Lakers tied their rival Boston Celtics with their 17th franchise title, the most in NBA history.
Ever the all-around player, Johnson credited everyone who made this unique NBA restart journey as enjoyable as it was.
Of course, that included the Heat, who stamped their names in the history books after forcing out two wins despite not having their two best players, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic, for the crucial stretch of the series.
And one cannot talk about the Heat without mentioning team icon Dwyane Wade, who got the best of both worlds after seeing his team fight against all odds before his good friend LeBron James eventually stood victorious once again.
Other legends joined in on the fun like Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor, one of the main sources of the Celtics’ headaches back in the 1960s despite ending his Laker career with a 0-8 finals record.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also had a message ready for the team that helped him win 5 of his 6 titles in the “Showtime” era of the 1980s.
From the dark days of the ‘60s to the golden era of the ‘80s, multiple sports personalities also noted that the 2020 Lakers paid due tribute to the late great Kobe Bryant, the team’s Finals MVP for 2009 and 2010.
Unsurprisingly, two-time champion Pau Gasol, one of Bryant’s closest friends, was one of the first to congratulate his peers.
Metta Sandiford-Artest, one of the Lakers’ X-factors in that 2010 title run back when he was known as Metta World Peace, gave his old team a toast in the comforts of his home.
Finally, Bryant’s widow Vanessa joined the fun as well, as she wished that she had two more people celebrating with her.
In a historically unique NBA Finals where no one really lost, new legends were made in South Beach as old ones were renewed at the edge of the West Coast.
Jimmy Butler solidified himself as a bona fide superstar. LeBron James further boosted his case to be the greatest of all time. Kobe Bryant’s legacy was honored by both teams with their dominance, grit, and Mamba mentality.
As the 2019-2020 NBA season finally comes to a close, everyone became a champion in their own right. – Rappler.com
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