NBA Bubble Rematches: Looking at uncanny similarity between 2020 & 2023 NBA conference finalists

The NBA bubble rematches between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat and the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets has everyone talking. At the time of the pandemic-necessitated 2020 bubble in Orlando, Florida, many critics claimed that the playoffs and finals matchups didn't genuinely have the league's best teams.

With no fans in attendance and no home-court advantage, the bubble was dubbed the "purest" form of competition until the script changed. As things went on, many wrote the 2020 NBA bubble off.

When the LA Lakers hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy, many again wrote off the accomplishment, claiming that the Lakers' championship wasn't genuine.

In the years following the bubble, the Boston Celtics have been the only team from the final four to make it to the finals (last season). As a result, players like T.J. Warren and Cameron Payne, who both had remarkable stretches in the bubble, haven't been able to reproduce the same kind of play.

Now, however, with the Celtics-Heat and Lakers-Nuggets NBA bubble rematches lined up, the debates have resurfaced. Should the Lakers and the Heat both emerge victorious, fans will be in for a rematch of the 2020 Finals.

Of course, with the Miami Heat missing Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo, and the LA Lakers going up against the NBA's best team (the Denver Nuggets), that rematch may never occur.

The LA Lakers celebrate the 2020 NBA title.

LeBron James talks NBA bubble rematch with Denver Nuggets

Ahead of Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and the LA Lakers, LeBron James weighed in on the difference between the 2020 showdown with the Nuggets and their current Western Conference Finals matchup.

“They’re better, but they were great then," James said. "And they’re great now. Joker (Nikola Jokic) has got two more years under his belt. Jamal (Murray) has gotten back to his regular form after the injury. And the rest of those guys are playing exceptional basketball. ... They’re a really, really, really, really good team.”

The Lakers now sit as the underdogs and Nuggets as the favorites given their regular season record. Only time will tell if this series plays out differently.

2020 NBA Finals: Game 6

Looking at the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat's NBA bubble rematch

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will compete in another NBA bubble rematch, with the Heat eager to prove 2020 was no fluke. Although the team has retained the dynamic duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, that doesn't mean the Celtics are looking at the matchup the same.

Jaylen Brown spoke about the 2020 bubble matchup as well as the Celtics' elimination of the Heat last year:

“Nothing about last year matters. I don’t think Miami is thinking about last year. They’re coming out ready to play basketball. …We just gotta come out with a great, fresh mind and execute what’s in front of us. I think that’s the key. I’m looking forward to it. I think it will be a great challenge, and it should be fun.”

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic