Los Angeles Lakers Win The NBA Finals, Paying Homage To The Legacy Of Kobe Bryant

Photo Credit: Getty Images

After a brief season hiatus for close to four months due to the spread of the pandemic, the NBA pivoted its entire format to continue the season in an isolated “NBA Bubble,” taking over Disney in Orlando, where no players or guests were allowed in or out. Here, the teams played the final eight games of the 2019-2020 season, where the Los Angeles Lakers came out victorious in the Western Conference Finals, and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Following adrenaline-pulsing six games of the NBA Finals, the Lakers were declared the winners with a 106-93 point scoreboard. The win was significant for many reasons—one marking it as superstar LeBron James’ fourth championship win—but most importantly, by paying homage to the late Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a tragic helicopter crash at the beginning of this year. The win also signified the first time the team has won the finals in 10 years, especially poignant in the wake of Bryant’s death, who had been a key part of five championship seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-year career. There was no better way to honor the “#Mambamentality” than to bring home this monumental title, paying tribute to Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

Photo Credit: Louis Vuitton

This year, for the first time ever, the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy was presented to the team in its bespoke Louis Vuitton Trophy Travel Case, hand-crafted by the House’s artisans in the historic Asnières workshop, located outside of Paris. Boasting the iconic Monogram canvas on the outside with brass fixtures, the large “V” represents “Victory Travels in Louis Vuitton,” with apt red, white and blue details, the deep blue being from the NBA logo colors. The team’s win looked even better thanks to this exciting new update, which resulted from Louis Vuitton and the NBA entering a multi-year agreement for the brand to be the official .

Photo Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Haute Living

Haute Living had the pleasure of speaking with two of the team’s stars: Anthony Davis, who graced Haute Living’s Los Angeles cover at the beginning of the season, and LeBron James, who attended to commemorate the occasion.

Prior to going into the season, it was evident that Davis maintained a one-track mind to a championship win for the 2019/2020 season.

Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach

“What I’m looking for is a championship ring,” the 26-year-old athlete said. “I think every basketball player that comes into the league wants to be a champion. Every basketball player wants to be the best. I want to come out and be as successful as possible in this league as long as I’m here. The main goal for a team is to win a championship, and that’s what I want to be a part of.”

And Davis certainly accomplished those dreams, bringing home the prestigious title in a pivotal and trying year for not only the sports industry, but every other industry in the world.

Haute Living also covered his opposing star, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, who played an incredible and inspiring season, serving as a leader for the team in his first year with the Heat.

Photo Credit: Darryl Omar

“Because I don’t like to lose, that’s what I do in my spare time—I study everything: my new teammates, how I can be better, how I can help my new teammates be better, what they’re good at, what they’re not so good at. I’m talking to all of the coaches about the plays that we’re running so I can get ahead of the game. This is new to me, as we all know,” Butler shared.

It’s clear that his hard work paid off, with an Eastern Conference Championship title under his belt in his first year with the Miami Heat. There’s no doubt that the team will come back stronger and more determined than ever before in the coming season.

While this year has challenged everyone with a new world and way of life that we’ve never experienced before, the NBA has shown us that it is a time of change—and that change will bring about a better, more inclusive and socially-aware future—one that Kobe Bryant would be proud of. Congratulations, Los Angeles Lakers, on an inspiring season win!