When the Los Angeles Lakers hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in October 2020, it was a triumph against all odds. Known now as the “NBA Bubble Championship,” this title marked the Lakers’ 17th championship overall and the first of the LeBron James-Anthony Davis partnership.
But more than basketball skill and strategy, it was character, discipline, and kindness that played a key role in the Lakers’ run.
Sequestered inside Walt Disney World during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA created a closed environment known as “the Bubble” to finish its season. Twenty-two teams entered, each battling strict health protocols, daily testing, and eerie silence from empty arenas. But only one emerged as champion.
For LeBron James, the Bubble became a stage not just to showcase elite play, but also to live out the lessons taught to him by his mother, Gloria James.
The Bubble wasn’t just basketball
The Lakers breezed through their early matchups, rattling off eight straight wins before defeating Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in six games during the Finals. Yet beyond the box scores and highlight reels was a more personal story unfolding.
LeBron, known for his leadership both on and off the court, quietly built a home-court advantage in the most unconventional of circumstances. He greeted hotel workers, bus drivers, food staff, and support personnel with consistent respect and warmth.
Speaking recently on the Mind The Game podcast with co-host Steve Nash, LeBron reflected on his Bubble experience and credited his mother for shaping that mindset.
“I would like to say I take credit for creating a home-court advantage, but also my mom raised me a certain way just to be kind to people, no matter the circumstances you’re in,” James said. “Ain’t no telling what they can do with my food, I would like to eat.”
That wry humor underscored a serious point: treating people with dignity is second nature to LeBron, a reflection of his upbringing. Gloria James, a single mother who raised LeBron in Akron, Ohio, instilled in him not just toughness but grace, both of which proved essential during the psychological grind of the Bubble.
“The Bubble was the purest form of hoops. It was just strictly basketball,” LeBron said. “You could go downstairs, and you had an opportunity to go downstairs and just work on your game, or they brought weight rooms in. But it was strictly strictly basketball.”
Gloria James: the foundation of LeBron’s greatness
Over a decade ago, LeBron wrote an emotional essay honoring his mother, calling her “my champion.” In it, he recalled nights when she’d forgo paying bills just to buy him basketball shoes or groceries. She taught him not only how to survive, but how to thrive through preparation and unrelenting work ethic.
Those qualities came into full view in Orlando. Where others struggled with isolation, LeBron adapted. Where other stars faltered under pressure, he delivered. It wasn’t just talent that carried him; it was a lifetime of training, both mental and emotional, guided by Gloria’s sacrifices.
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