The championship rings that the Lakers will receive on opening night Tuesday are a token of what the team accomplished last season during an NBA season unlike any other.
Though the ceremony will be a reminder about the Lakers’ past, there’s symbolism in them receiving their rings on the season’s first night. It’s a reminder to the other 29 teams in the league whom they’re fighting in the season to come.
The burden can be heavy for the champion. Only a dozen teams have been able to successfully defend the crown since the 1968-69 season, when the Boston Celtics’ dynasty was temporarily derailed.
