Magic Johnson’s 2021 NBA Finals Prediction Goes Viral
Magic Johnson’s 2021 NBA Finals Prediction Goes Viral
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday night to win their 17th championship in franchise history.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the players have understandably been focused solely on celebrating the victory over the past 12 hours.
Magic Johnson, though? He is already looking forward. On Monday morning, he appeared on ESPN’s First Take and offered a bold prediction for the 2021 NBA Finals – the Lakers are going to do it again.
“Watch out,” he said. “Next season, I’m predicting right here, right now, the Lakers are going to repeat.”
.@MagicJohnson is calling it right here, right now: “The Lakers are going to repeat [next season]!” pic.twitter.com/OrhKITy4q7
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 12, 2020
Johnson is not alone in that assessment. According to odds makers, the Lakers are the favorites to win the title in 2021 at +375. They are followed by the Los Angeles Clippers at +425, Milwaukee Bucks at +650, Golden State Warriors at +750, Brooklyn Nets at +1000 and Boston Celtics at +1200.
Interestingly enough, Miami, the Eastern Conference champs from this year and the team that pushed LA to six games, is +1300 to win the championship next season.
All in all, Johnson’s prediction should not come as a huge surprise. Obviously he always has been and forever will be a Laker at heart.
But the path to repeating will not be an easy one for James and Co.
Presumably, the Clippers’ new head coach will help them navigate the chemistry issues that plagued them for much of this year.
Gotta love Rajon Rondo. https://t.co/8Y42wsYeS1
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 12, 2020
Along the same lines, Milwaukee’s front office has promised to upgrade the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, so the Bucks should come back in 2021 looking better than they did in their most recent playoff run.
The Golden State Warriors have slipped under the radar over the past year, but it goes without saying that Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr are expecting them to return to form next season now that everyone is healthy.
Kevin Durant took a team to the NBA Finals the last time he played a full season, so it stands to reason that the Nets will be a threat with him and Kyrie Irving teaming up. Plus, they seem to really love being teammates already, which will only expedite the process of learning to play well together.
And of course, the experience gained by the Celtics and Heat over the course of this year’s postseason run is going to pay major dividends in 2021, as both squads are absolutely loaded with young talent. Jayson Tatum will only get better from this point on, as will Tyler Herro — even if some fans don’t want to admit it.
In case you’re wondering why Bronny is trending. https://t.co/RHyy4cNDpU
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 12, 2020
The Lakers’ road to back to back championships will inevitably be a bumpy one. Especially with lingering personnel issues that need to be figured out, and Davis’ looming free agency.
But the path to this year’s title wasn’t easy either, and the Lakers still got it done.
Winning a ring is a tough feat, but Johnson is right, based on what the Lakers showed this year, it would be crazy to count them out heading into next season.
Related: Fans Turn On Tyler Herro After Heat’s Game 6 Collapse
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
