Former NBA star Chris Bosh said he might not have taken part in the league’s restart if he were still an active player, but he has a lot of respect for those competing for a title.
“Some people are saying this year’s championship is going to have an asterisk next to it. Hell no,” Bosh said in a post for The Last Chip. “It’s legitimate—if anything, winning a championship during a pandemic will go down as one of the biggest achievements in the history of the game.”
Bosh won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat, but he acknowledged whoever wins this year will have pulled off an even greater feat.
The 2019-20 NBA season was first suspended because of the coronavirus in March, leaving a four-month layoff before the restart beginning Thursday. Players competing for a championship also have to spend the next few months in the Orlando bubble, away from their families and normal lives, in order to remain with their team.
In addition to the mental challenge, teams have to feature plenty of depth to overcome opt-outs, injuries and any potential outbreak of COVID-19.
While this is certainly an unusual year, any title shouldn’t be considered less impressive than other seasons.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo provided his thoughts earlier this month, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press (via CBS Boston):
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that there’s going to be, like, a star next to this championship. I feel like at the end of the day this is going to be like the toughest championship you could ever win because the circumstances are really, really tough right now. So, whoever wants it more is going to be able to go out there and take it.”
Caesars Palace has the Los Angeles Lakers listed as the favorite to win the title (+180), followed by the Bucks (+275) and Los Angeles Clippers (+325).
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
