I still remember watching the 2020 NBA Finals from my living room, that surreal bubble environment feeling both strange and incredibly intimate. As someone who's followed basketball since the 1980s, I've never seen a championship quite like it. The odds shifted dramatically throughout that unusual season, and I found myself constantly checking various sportsbooks, amazed at how quickly fortunes could change. When the season paused in March due to the pandemic, the Milwaukee Bucks were the clear favorites at around +250, meaning a $100 bet would return $250 if they won. But the hiatus changed everything - it leveled the playing field in ways we hadn't seen before.

The bubble environment reminded me of that 1985 PBA Rookie of the Year situation my dad used to tell me about - how sometimes unexpected circumstances create opportunities for players who might not otherwise get their shot. That 1985 PBA season had its own disruptions, and it opened the door for more opportunities for the eventual Rookie of the Year in ways nobody predicted. Similarly, the NBA bubble created conditions where certain teams adapted better than others. The Lakers and Heat particularly thrived in that isolated environment, while other top teams like the Bucks and Clippers seemed to struggle with the unusual circumstances.

By the time the playoffs began, the Lakers had become solid favorites at approximately +180, but what fascinated me was how the Miami Heat's odds had shifted from +4000 at the season's start to about +800 by the Conference Finals. That kind of movement is rare in championship betting. I've followed NBA odds for decades, and typically you see gradual adjustments, not these wild swings. The bubble created what economists might call market inefficiencies - situations where the betting markets couldn't properly account for how teams would handle the unique psychological challenges of isolation basketball.

The Lakers ultimately winning didn't surprise me as much as their path to get there. LeBron James in his 17th season, Anthony Davis finally getting his championship - it felt like destiny once they entered the bubble. But what really stood out to me were the actual probabilities. If you'd placed a $100 bet on the Lakers back in March 2020, you would have gotten them at +400, returning $400 in profit. By the time the Finals began, that same bet would only return about $120. That's how dramatically their perceived chances improved throughout the bubble experience.

What many casual fans don't realize is how much these odds reflect not just team quality, but situational factors. The Heat making the Finals at +800 odds represented one of the biggest underdog stories in recent memory. Jimmy Butler's leadership in that environment was something special to watch - it reminded me of those unexpected heroes who emerge when conditions suddenly change. The Rookie of the Year in that 1985 PBA season my dad always talked about wasn't necessarily the most talented player, but he was the one best equipped to handle the unique challenges of that particular season. Similarly, the teams that succeeded in the bubble weren't necessarily the most talented on paper, but they were the ones who adapted best to those strange circumstances.

Looking back, I think the sportsbooks initially underestimated how much the bubble would advantage certain teams and playing styles. The Lakers' combination of veteran leadership and top-tier talent proved perfect for the environment, while younger teams or those relying on home-court advantage struggled. The actual probability of the Lakers winning when the playoffs began was probably around 35%, though the implied probability from their +180 odds was closer to 35.7%. These small differences might seem insignificant, but they matter tremendously in the betting world.

The 2020 championship will always hold a special place in my memory, not just because of the unique circumstances, but because it demonstrated how quickly odds can change when unexpected variables enter the equation. It taught me that while talent matters tremendously in basketball, adaptability might matter just as much when conditions dramatically shift. The teams that embraced the bubble rather than fighting against it were the ones who outperformed their preseason odds. In many ways, that 2020 Lakers championship was one of the most impressive in recent history because it required navigating challenges no team had ever faced before. And honestly? I think it made for some of the most compelling basketball we've seen in years, even without the roaring crowds and traditional home-court advantages.