On Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers became the 2020 NBA Champions after they beat the Miami Heat 106 to 93 in Game 6.

The 2019-2020 NBA season was put on hold in March due to the pandemic and resumed in July, where they finished the season at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

In order to significantly limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the league created a “bubble” that followed strict precautions such as prohibiting the entry of non-essential people, mandatory masks and relatively empty arenas.

However, this significant change of events did not prevent the Lakers from obtaining their goal of winning their 17^th championship and garnering a win in honor of their late former teammate, Kobe Bryant.

During Game 6, Lebron James scored 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists while Anthony Davis scored 19 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.

Although the Lakers had this strong duo, the Heat had a strong offensive team that was able to spread the floor against veteran teams.

The Heat’s strongest offensive players in Game 6 were Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, with Butler scoring 12 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds and Adebayo scoring 25 points, 5 assists and 10 rebounds.

Regardless of Butler and Adebayo’s skills, the Miami Heat lost two key players to injuries, leaving them at a disadvantage with the Lakers.

James became the first player in NBA history to win an NBA Finals MVP with three different franchises. He previously won the award with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. James also became one of the first players to ever win three championships with three different teams.

In the bubble, both teams faced little to no distractions from their training. However, many players were struggling with this sort of isolation, specifically because they lost interactions with their fans.

Not only did the teams lose money with an empty arena, but they lost the energy and intensity that fans provide in each in-person game.

With teams on the bench, they had to “feed themselves through the energy of the crowd” said Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Although they had to adjust from hearing the cheers of fans to playing in a quiet arena, players and coaches dealt with these changes gracefully.

The unique challenges they faced only made the Lakers’ win all the more special and historic, given the circumstances.