:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68563135/106146380.0.jpg)
In the two months that have passed since the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned champions of the NBA, they’ve done a lot of celebrating, but none of that celebrating has been with their fans due to coronavirus restrictions in the State of California. Unfortunately, their ring ceremony will be no different.
On Monday, the Lakers announced that they will go forth with their ring ceremony on Tuesday night despite the fact that fans still aren’t allowed at games. It will be the first fanless championship ring ceremony in NBA history. Suffice to say, that’s not the type of history the Lakers were hoping to make in 2020.
Tuesday can't come soon enough pic.twitter.com/4PlOiguOru
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 21, 2020
.@MichelobULTRA has announced that tomorrow "at 7pm PST - in parallel with the LA Lakers Championship Ring Ceremony - the first 50 fans to comment on Michelob ULTRA’s Lakers Championship Bottle social post will win" one of their championship bottle (seen here, AD not included): pic.twitter.com/5IEF4TmUoD
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) December 21, 2020
So, while the Lakers will go through the motions of a normal championship ceremony, it will be anything but normal for the players — particularly players who have already experienced what it’s like to be celebrated by fans at a championship ring ceremony like LeBron James. The players that haven’t been part of a championship ring ceremony before obviously won’t know what they’re missing out on, but it will still be sad for them, as Tuesday could be their only opportunity to experience one, let alone one at Staples Center.
I mean, just listen to how the Laker faithful cheer for their team. It won’t be the same.
Granted, getting a championship ring in any capacity is better than not getting one at all, but it’s safe to assume the Lakers would have rather won a championship in a year that didn’t prevent them from having a championship parade on Figueroa St., or a championship ring ceremony on opening night. It’s also safe to assume fans feel the same way.
Hopefully, once this is all over, the Lakers will find a way to celebrate No. 17 with the fans. Would it be weird to ask players who are under contract with different teams to participate in a championship parade next year? Asking for a friend.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.