Damian Lillard Says LeBron James, Lakers Winning Title in Bubble Was 'Harder'

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard turned heads when he said NBA games were "way easier" in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble, but he clarified that didn't mean winning the championship was a straightforward task for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Lillard explained that everyone being on a level playing field without the benefit of home-court advantage and other variables meant the Lakers' win was "harder":

This comes after James suggested his 2020 Lakers and 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers were the "two teams that won the two hardest championships in NBA league history."

Few players were better in the "easier" games than Lillard, who put the Trail Blazers on his back and led them into the playoffs with incredible scoring numbers. He scored more than 40 points in four of Portland's final five seeding games, but his team's run came to an end in the first round against the Lakers.

Lillard certainly has a point, especially when it comes to the Lakers.

Los Angeles had the best record in the Western Conference, which typically means home-court advantage into the NBA Finals. However, instead of relying on the Staples Center crowd to provide energy and lift them to wins, the Purple and Gold played in the same fanless environments as all of their opponents.

That was a great equalizer, especially in the Eastern Conference when the Miami Heat stunned the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.

If anything was easier for the Lakers, it was the fact they didn't have to play the Bucks or the L.A. Clippers on the way to their championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks and Kawhi Leonard's Clippers figured to be the top two challengers, but they were both upset in the second round.

Series against the Denver Nuggets and Heat were not as imposing for the Lakers, and they took care of business accordingly.

Still, there is nothing easy about winning a championship, which Lillard recognized.