LeBron James had just won his fourth NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award and his fourth NBA title, but Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel wanted to make sure his point was clear after their 106-93 win in Game 6 over the Miami Heat.
“If you think you know, you don’t know,” Vogel said of James, who posted 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 6 to secure the Lakers’ first title since 2010. “I’m around him every day, coaching him, seeing his mind, seeing his adjustments, seeing the way he leads the group.
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“You think you know, but you don’t know.”
James was voted Most Valuable Player of the Finals for the fourth time in his career, and is the first player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with three different teams (Miami, Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers).
“We just want our respect,” James said. “(General manager) Rob (Pelinka) wants his respect. Coach Vogel wants his respect. The organization wants their respect. Laker Nation wants their respect … and I want my damn respect too.”
The Lakers’ defense was dominant Sunday, allowing just 16 points in the second quarter to open up a 28-point halftime lead. Anthony Davis (19 points, 15 rebounds) led the Lakers’ interior defense, which held the Heat to just 16 points in the paint in the first half.
The Lakers led by as many as 30 points, never trailing in Game 6 to cap the longest season in NBA history.
This season, the Lakers played on while mourning the death of franchise legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January, and players such as James were at the forefront of the players’ fight against social injustice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The NBA season stopped March 11 due to the coronavirus outbreak and resumed July 30 in Orlando. The Lakers spent 95 days in the NBA’s Orlando bubble, emerging with the franchise’s 17th championship (including five titles as the Minneapolis Lakers) – tying the Boston Celtics for the most by any team in league history.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, not only for myself, but for my teammates, the organization, the coaches, the trainers, everybody that’s here,” James said.
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What does this title mean for the Lakers
Bill Oram, Lakers beat writer: This may be the Lakers 17th title, but you can not underestimate how different this one feels; how much it means to the people involved. To Jeanie Buss, who is just three years removed from firing her brother in search of a new direction for the family business. This is her first title since her legendary father died and left her in charge. To Rob Pelinka, who Magic Johnson labeled a backstabber on his way out the door. This is his vindication. To James, who took on the expectations of a desperate fanbase when he made the decision to come to L.A. This is his case that he is the greatest ever. And to Lakers fans, who may have been spoiled over the decades, but have been grieving this year after the death of Bryant. This is their catharsis. What does it mean to win a championship in 2020? It means everything.
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Did the right player win Finals MVP?
Oram: In a year he said the lack of support from regular season awards voters “pissed me off,” James left voters for Finals MVP with absolutely no choice. From a clinical dissection of Miami in a Game 1 blowout, to his epic back-and-forth duel with Butler, to a tomahawk dunk in Game 6 that foretold the night to come, this was James' championship. As good as Davis was, arguably the most impactful player through the first two games, James is the heartbeat of this rejuvenated franchise, and with a triple-double to close out the championship, certainly the MVP of these Finals.
What's on the Heat's offseason to-do list?
Manny Navarro, staff writer: Miami has to decide if it is going to try and extend Adebayo early and avoid letting him become a restricted free agent after next season. If the Heat opt to wait, then it becomes about deciding if they want to let Jae Crowder and Dragic walk in free agency. That could give them $21 million in cap space to play with. In the end, Pat Riley can decide to run it back with the same group, add some help with a mid-level exception and go from there.
(Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images)