The year 2020 was a terrible year for the world. The outbreak of COVID-19 affected many industries and forced them to shut down. One of those industries was the NBA. But as the saying goes, “The show must go on.” To do that, the league created an isolated playing environment for the players that would eventually be called the “ Orlando Bubble .”
Players had mixed reactions as the games resumed inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. While some relished the chance to play hoop after the league suspended games for several months, others expressed reluctance to be away from their families for an extended period.
According to two-time NBA champ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , this was especially true for the Los Angeles Clippers . Despite having a legitimate shot at winning the title with the presence of exceptional two-way players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, KCP shared that the team wanted to exit the bubble when the playoffs were ongoing. This decision was even weirder because they were ahead 3-1 against the Denver Nuggets in their second-round showdown.
Looming Lakers vs. Clippers match-up
KCP, then the starting off-guard for the LA Lakers, said everybody was looking forward to the so-called “Battle of LA,” especially when the Clippers took a commanding series lead. The Lakers were already waiting in the Western Conference Finals after easily defeating Portland and Houston in the first two rounds.
“We wanted that opportunity. Alright, we were going to put this to bed—Lakers vs. Clippers. Here it is, you know? But they sh*t the bed, man,” the 6-foot-5 guard told Draymond Green on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show.”
After going up 3-1, the Clippers would not win another game in the series, as Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic took charge and led the Nuggets to the stunning series victory. However, there was talk that some Clippers players were having trouble dealing with life inside the “Orlando Bubble.” One such player was superstar wingman Paul George, who shared that he found life inside that space to be a “prison” and was having trouble sleeping .
However, KCP still wished the Clippers pulled it off, given they needed only one more win to advance to the WCF.
“You were up 3-1. Even if you talked about leaving, you were up 3-1—finish the job. Finish the job, man. Come lose in the next round. Everybody wanted to see Lakers vs. Clippers that year. Just finish the job, and then we can sweep y'all. Then you can go home. Don't do it now, and then we’re just sitting there waiting,” KCP asserted.
Udonis convinced the other teams to keep on playing
The veteran wingman confirmed that the players met to discuss whether they should continue the season. Amidst all the talk of play stoppage, the Miami Heat’s respected veteran, Udonis Haslem, acted as a mediator and convinced everyone to keep playing to help the young players.
“He stood up and talked about it being for the younger guys and the guys who wouldn't have any money if we stopped this right now,” KCP revealed. “What about these guys? They’re just getting drafted, year two, year three guys. What are they supposed to do about money? Are you older guys going to help them out? I think that kind of shifted things when he stood up and said all that. I think it changed a lot of guys' minds.”
As successful as the “Orlando Bubble” was, it’s safe to say that players, coaches, and personnel aren’t looking forward to a repeat of it anytime soon.
Related: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reacts to critics who put an asterisk on the Lakers' Bubble title: "It's one of the hardest championships to win"
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