Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday to take their 17th NBA Championship.
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Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers' Dwight Howard (39) celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 103-88 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers' Dwight Howard (39) celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 103-88 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title The Los Angeles Lakers players celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 103-88 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Anthony Davis (3) celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 103-88 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) holds the MVP trophy as he celebrates with Anthony Davis,left, and teammates after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) celebrates with his teammates after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title The Los Angeles Lakers players celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) celebrates with his teammates after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) holds the MVP trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) dunks against Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler (22) and Jae Crowder (99) during the first half in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo (13) and Jimmy Butler (22) rejects a shot by Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) during the first half in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) dunks during the first half in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals against the Miami Heat Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo (13) misses a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) was fouled on the play during the first half in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
According to CNN, this was the Lakers' first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, when the late Kobe Bryant won his fifth and final NBA title. Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash.
NBA FINALS: Lakers win record-tying 17th NBA title, giving LeBron James his 4th championship. Fans are outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles celebrating. RE-53SU pic.twitter.com/m7VAGurE15
Sundays win came in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, with the Lakers beating the Heat 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Meanwhile, the victory also marks the fourth NBA championship for the Lakers' LeBron James, named MVP, who previously won two consecutive titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013, followed by the 2016 championship while playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers fans celebrate outside of Staples Center, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers fans celebrate outside of Staples Center, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Christian Monterrosa/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title A Los Angeles Lakers fan celebrates outside of Staples Center after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Christian Monterrosa/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Police on horseback move people back as rowdy fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Los Angeles Police Department officers on horseback move people back as rowdy fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Police on horseback move people back as rowdy fans celebrate, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title A Los Angeles police officer tries to disperse rowdy fans in the street, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Los Angeles police officers attempt to disperse rowdy fans in the street, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Jintak Han/AP)
Fans celebrate in Los Angeles streets after Lakers win 17th NBA title Los Angeles Lakers fans celebrate outside of Staples Center as Los Angeles Police Department officers try to disperse them, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (Christian Monterrosa/AP)
“For me to be a part of such a historical franchise is an unbelievable feeling, not only for myself but for my teammates, for the organization, for the coaches, for the trainers, everybody that’s here,” James said on the court. “We just want our respect. (Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager) Rob (Pelinka) wants his respect. (Lakers head) coach (Frank) Vogel wants his respect. Our organization wants their respect. Laker nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect, too.”
According to CNN, only Michael Jordan has more NBA Finals MVP awards, with six, than James. James, however, is the first player in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP with three different teams.
