The 2020 NBA Bubble has often been described as one of the most mentally demanding environments in league history. Kyle Kuzma remembers it a little differently.
According to Kuzma, the experience became much easier once players accepted why they were there.
“If you wanted to be there and win, you were gonna be there longer,” Kuzma said. “Everybody was just like, ‘I don’t wanna be here, I don’t wanna do this.’”
Kuz says the NBA Bubble was EASY with the right mentality 💯
“If you wanted to be there and win, you were gonna be there longer. Remember that private meeting we had with all the teams? Everybody was just like, ‘I don’t wanna be here, I don’t wanna do this.’” pic.twitter.com/CgupJVE1d9
— Derrick White (@whitenoisepod_) July 26, 2026
Kuzma was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that remained inside the Orlando bubble until the very end, eventually winning the 2020 championship. With no travel, no traditional home-court advantage and almost no outside distractions, basketball became the center of daily life. For players fully committed to competing, Kuzma believes that created an opportunity rather than an excuse.
His comments also highlight the strange psychology of the tournament. Some players were separated from their families, living under strict restrictions and eager to leave. Others understood that the fastest way out was technically to lose—which is not exactly the motivational speech coaches usually put on the locker-room wall.
Kuzma and the Lakers chose the opposite approach. They stayed focused, kept winning and earned the least relaxing extended vacation in Disney World history.
