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Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine
A single-sitting, page-turning, behind-the-scenes account of the NBA lockdown at Disney World by Jared Dudley of the world champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Omens in China. The tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. A novel coronavirus and the protests honoring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. For Jared Dudley and the Los Angeles Lakers, the suspended 2019–2020 NBA season was, from the beginning, about more than winning basketball games. But what now?
This is the year of the Bubble, a vacated Disney World, and the nearly one hundred days that 350 players and personnel from twenty-two NBA teams isolated from their friends and family, testing their patience for a dorm-style solution to America’s lost pandemic sports season—but also inspiring them. In a country violently divided by more than COVID-19, the Lakers rise to the occasion. From initial quarantine to the best basketball ever played by LeBron James and Anthony Davis to transitioning again to the real world, Jared Dudley shares his winning memories of a personal and professional victory from inside the NBA Bubble
Omens in China. The tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. A novel coronavirus and the protests honoring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. For Jared Dudley and the Los Angeles Lakers, the suspended 2019–2020 NBA season was, from the beginning, about more than winning basketball games. But what now?
This is the year of the Bubble, a vacated Disney World, and the nearly one hundred days that 350 players and personnel from twenty-two NBA teams isolated from their friends and family, testing their patience for a dorm-style solution to America’s lost pandemic sports season—but also inspiring them. In a country violently divided by more than COVID-19, the Lakers rise to the occasion. From initial quarantine to the best basketball ever played by LeBron James and Anthony Davis to transitioning again to the real world, Jared Dudley shares his winning memories of a personal and professional victory from inside the NBA Bubble
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 3, 2021
Great Listen
Highly recommend listening to the audio narration to get the words straight from Dudz himself. A great look inside the Lakers team that gave us fans so much to be happy about in an incredibly trying year.
Highly recommend listening to the audio narration to get the words straight from Dudz himself. A great look inside the Lakers team that gave us fans so much to be happy about in an incredibly trying year.
March 7, 2021
This is a short book written by one of the LA Lakers players. I'm a basketball fan and follow the Miami Heat who played the Lakers in the finals inside the NBA Bubble. I did not think the book was particularly well written but it did give a good picture of what life was like for the players inside that bubble. I also got a different perspective on what it's like to play at that level in the final chapter when Dudley shared that the day after winning the championship and all the hype that goes along with that - that's over and he has to learn how to be a husband and dad again. Not that easy to make the transition.
October 26, 2022
Quick listen while driving. A recap by a veteran player about playing under the bubble in Orlando for the 2020 NBA championship during COVID. Other than some mildly-entertaining LeBron stories and a recollection of recent events - COVID, George Floyd, death of Kobe - the book is skeletal. This "book" was free on Amazon Prime; I don't think I would have purchased it otherwise.
January 2, 2023
Not too bad. He gets pretty repetitive at points, but it was an interesting point of view about the bubble.
July 8, 2021
A compelling, enjoyable quick read, 4.5 stars
As a Lakers fan, this was a really cool look at what the bubble was like from a player's perspective. My only complaint was that the actual championship was kind of quickly glossed over at the end. You'd think a book about winning a championship would devote more than a few quick paragraphs to the final game. However, it does make sense with the overarching theme of the weirdness of the Bubble, where everything is so strange that even something as significant as a championship just...happens.
As a Lakers fan, this was a really cool look at what the bubble was like from a player's perspective. My only complaint was that the actual championship was kind of quickly glossed over at the end. You'd think a book about winning a championship would devote more than a few quick paragraphs to the final game. However, it does make sense with the overarching theme of the weirdness of the Bubble, where everything is so strange that even something as significant as a championship just...happens.
January 5, 2026
I wish that the NBA did a better job of showing how much its players care. I'm so glad I read this short tale by Jared Dudley.
We all know that 2020 was a pivotal year for American (and world) history. We all faced our own trials. This book puts it in the perspective of an NBA player and more importantly a black athlete in the most trying time period in our lifetimes. Consider -
- the unexpected death of Kobe Bryant (Dudley was playing for Kobe's LA Lakers in 2019-2020);
- COVID-19;
- the Black Lives Matter movement ramping up;
- NBA political issues with China that preceded the whole COVID mess.
And then, there was the fact that the players who opted in to playing during the pandemic dealt with these many issues living in the Bubble in Orlando. Stress, hyper-boredom, loss, separation from families, loneliness, despair and life-changing social causes and events related to them made 2020 a year that no NBA player would ever forget.
What I love most about this book is the perspective that Dudley (and his coauthor) bring forward. Dudley reinforces, time and again, the fact that NBA players don't play just for themselves. They play for Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, other community charities working to give young people chances to thrive. Entire communities look up to the players as pillars, as rocks. More than that, Dudley understands that much like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar paved the way for him and his contemporaries in the NBA, he, now, has to think of the young black men of the future. It's a perspective that not every individual has, especially in today's me-first world.
I said it at the start of this review, but I'll reiterate it here: I am SO glad that I read this book (even if I'm a Celtics fan).
We all know that 2020 was a pivotal year for American (and world) history. We all faced our own trials. This book puts it in the perspective of an NBA player and more importantly a black athlete in the most trying time period in our lifetimes. Consider -
- the unexpected death of Kobe Bryant (Dudley was playing for Kobe's LA Lakers in 2019-2020);
- COVID-19;
- the Black Lives Matter movement ramping up;
- NBA political issues with China that preceded the whole COVID mess.
And then, there was the fact that the players who opted in to playing during the pandemic dealt with these many issues living in the Bubble in Orlando. Stress, hyper-boredom, loss, separation from families, loneliness, despair and life-changing social causes and events related to them made 2020 a year that no NBA player would ever forget.
What I love most about this book is the perspective that Dudley (and his coauthor) bring forward. Dudley reinforces, time and again, the fact that NBA players don't play just for themselves. They play for Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, other community charities working to give young people chances to thrive. Entire communities look up to the players as pillars, as rocks. More than that, Dudley understands that much like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar paved the way for him and his contemporaries in the NBA, he, now, has to think of the young black men of the future. It's a perspective that not every individual has, especially in today's me-first world.
I said it at the start of this review, but I'll reiterate it here: I am SO glad that I read this book (even if I'm a Celtics fan).
March 8, 2021
I read this because my boys follow basketball and I wanted to get an “inside” view of the hallowed ground of the NBA after having spent years schlepping my son up and down the East Coast to play in AAU games with his various teams.
First impression? Mr Dudley seems to think NBA players have been entrusted with a sacred charge from the community. Hmmmmm. I don’t know.
Second? NBA life sounds like extended adolescence but with a bigger allowance.
Third? As far as books go: it had a beginning. It had sentences. It had a last page. It lacked dramatic tension and any sort of plot — more like an extended diary. It lacked characters or insight into the basketball greats and even himself.
I did learn that the Clippers and the Lakers have a rivalry but I don’t think that is news for fans. I was surprised they played Call of Duty and Madden but not Fortnight. I was surprised they didn’t play online but played each other. I was surprised that the players behaved so well — AAU tournaments always have divas who think the rules don’t apply to them. Good to know they’ve grown up.
But mostly I was surprised that a 35-year-old would stick around even with no playing time making the minimum salary and no limelight. Again — that sacred trust he was fulfilling.
First impression? Mr Dudley seems to think NBA players have been entrusted with a sacred charge from the community. Hmmmmm. I don’t know.
Second? NBA life sounds like extended adolescence but with a bigger allowance.
Third? As far as books go: it had a beginning. It had sentences. It had a last page. It lacked dramatic tension and any sort of plot — more like an extended diary. It lacked characters or insight into the basketball greats and even himself.
I did learn that the Clippers and the Lakers have a rivalry but I don’t think that is news for fans. I was surprised they played Call of Duty and Madden but not Fortnight. I was surprised they didn’t play online but played each other. I was surprised that the players behaved so well — AAU tournaments always have divas who think the rules don’t apply to them. Good to know they’ve grown up.
But mostly I was surprised that a 35-year-old would stick around even with no playing time making the minimum salary and no limelight. Again — that sacred trust he was fulfilling.
August 1, 2023
I enjoyed this short story about the NBA bubble in 2020. It not only covered the bubble and the stresses it presented, it touched on Kobe's death, George Floyd's death, and the unbelievable silence when shooting a free throw with no fans. It also touched on the Laker's exhibition trip to China and the tweet by the Houston GM Daryl Morey. Line from the book that truly hit me: "If you’re a high-profile figure in a divided country, there is no winning. There’s only being true to yourself." Amazon Original Stories. Kindle Edition. The extra plus for this Jayhawk fan was the mention of Markieff Morris of the Lakers and Marcus Morris of the Clippers. -- Dudley, Jared; Wallace, Carvell. Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine (p. 37).
March 19, 2021
Ehh
I usually love this kind of stuff. And was a little hyped to get a perspective from someone who was on the inside of this historic NBA bubble that I and plenty others were glued to for those couple of months. BUT...
I mean, it was okay. It was kinda interesting, I guess, but it felt more like a skim-over than anything in depth. There were some interesting parts, though; I even chuckled here and there. And the rather choppy writing...I can take or leave it. It probably would've flowed better if I was listening to it rather than reading it, but hey. That's me.
Nowhere near a bad read, just not quite what I expected.
I usually love this kind of stuff. And was a little hyped to get a perspective from someone who was on the inside of this historic NBA bubble that I and plenty others were glued to for those couple of months. BUT...
I mean, it was okay. It was kinda interesting, I guess, but it felt more like a skim-over than anything in depth. There were some interesting parts, though; I even chuckled here and there. And the rather choppy writing...I can take or leave it. It probably would've flowed better if I was listening to it rather than reading it, but hey. That's me.
Nowhere near a bad read, just not quite what I expected.
February 4, 2021
Ever wondered about Bubble life?
Life in the NBA bubble, told from the perspective of someone who conquered it by winning the 2020 NBA Championship. I've always appreciated Jared Dudley for saying the things that most wouldn't. While there is some of that here, don't expect any deep secrets or salaciousness. Very quick read about the day to day in the NBA bubble but deeper than that; how a team bonded in the face of fear, unknown, and tragedy only to use those things as fuel to win the Lakers 17th chip. Worth the read.
Full disclosure: I'm a Lakers fan 💜💛
Life in the NBA bubble, told from the perspective of someone who conquered it by winning the 2020 NBA Championship. I've always appreciated Jared Dudley for saying the things that most wouldn't. While there is some of that here, don't expect any deep secrets or salaciousness. Very quick read about the day to day in the NBA bubble but deeper than that; how a team bonded in the face of fear, unknown, and tragedy only to use those things as fuel to win the Lakers 17th chip. Worth the read.
Full disclosure: I'm a Lakers fan 💜💛
February 5, 2021
The first of many but what a high bar set!
This is the first book describing the Bubble experience and how insightful it was. I am confident that there will be movies, tv shows and tens of books on the 4 month experience at Disney. Mr. Dudley has the unique perspective of being a 13+ yr vet and a member of the Bubble Champion Lakers which is so insightful. The book is a short read which leaves you wanting more but also has a fulfilling sense to it making you see the privilege to be included in their journey.
This is the first book describing the Bubble experience and how insightful it was. I am confident that there will be movies, tv shows and tens of books on the 4 month experience at Disney. Mr. Dudley has the unique perspective of being a 13+ yr vet and a member of the Bubble Champion Lakers which is so insightful. The book is a short read which leaves you wanting more but also has a fulfilling sense to it making you see the privilege to be included in their journey.
February 12, 2021
I gave Bubble 2 stars for the simple fact that in only 44 pages, it didn’t really say anything or bring any new information to light regarding the bizarre year in sports that was 2020.
And yes, this is about basketball, which I’ve become increasingly more disillusioned with as they continue to peddle to woke mobs, cancel culture, and Lebaby James (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose).
Anyways, this isn’t Dudleys fault. Just not a great expose it’s could have been.
And yes, this is about basketball, which I’ve become increasingly more disillusioned with as they continue to peddle to woke mobs, cancel culture, and Lebaby James (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose).
Anyways, this isn’t Dudleys fault. Just not a great expose it’s could have been.
March 2, 2021
Even for this not-avid sports fan, this was a fun read, insightful personal look at behind the scenes in the pandemic world of the NBA. Readers will come to appreciate the difficult lives and sacrifices that players make in living the challenging world of major league sports (NBA in this case, obviously). Whatever challenges you may be facing during this crisis, seeing the impact on this single basketball player will have the reader counting their own blessings.
March 9, 2021
An honest, relatable take on life in the Bubble
The tone is very relatable and casual from start to finish. Dudley does a good job of covering the major events of 2020 and how they affected the players. It's a quick, fun read for those who love all things related to the NBA. You not only get to know about the Bubble but you also get to know a little about each player on the team.
The tone is very relatable and casual from start to finish. Dudley does a good job of covering the major events of 2020 and how they affected the players. It's a quick, fun read for those who love all things related to the NBA. You not only get to know about the Bubble but you also get to know a little about each player on the team.
April 12, 2021
I read a free version of this on my Kindle.
The narrator's voice was really distinctive and brought the story to life. The part of the NBA Bubble story that made it to the page was really excellent. I felt like the writer just kind of ran out of gas telling this full story or maybe the collaborators couldn't find the time to do a full version of the Bubble story. I recommend checking this out!
The narrator's voice was really distinctive and brought the story to life. The part of the NBA Bubble story that made it to the page was really excellent. I felt like the writer just kind of ran out of gas telling this full story or maybe the collaborators couldn't find the time to do a full version of the Bubble story. I recommend checking this out!
September 27, 2021
I'm a die hard Laker fan and 2020 was such as crazy year for both the NBA and the Lakers. Going from the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi, to COVID shutting the league down, to winning an NBA championship. Jared Dudley was not only there for all of that, but he's also the type of player who talking to everyone on the team making sure everyone is alright. I think Dudley did a great job. It's just too bad he left the Lakers to be an assistant coach in Dallas.
February 22, 2022
’m not sure if this counts as one of my books for the year or not but I had so much fun reading this last night. Dudz gives us just enough insight of not only the tight knit bubble for 3 months to win the championship but also the Lakers’ grueling road for the entire year of 2020. The China escapades- Kobe- The pandemic- Racial injustice- brotherhood and real life experiences.
I cried so hard. I don’t think I stopped crying the entire story.
I cried so hard. I don’t think I stopped crying the entire story.
February 3, 2021
Not much revelatory here.
For me, this was a mildly interesting story. It's sort of unfortunate that the image I'm going to take away from this story is "oh, no, LeBron had to make his own PB&J; the situation was Dire!" And, of course, Mr. Dudley is correct that the NBA machine is all about the money, and he made that clear.
For me, this was a mildly interesting story. It's sort of unfortunate that the image I'm going to take away from this story is "oh, no, LeBron had to make his own PB&J; the situation was Dire!" And, of course, Mr. Dudley is correct that the NBA machine is all about the money, and he made that clear.
February 13, 2021
Awesome book
During this time of so many new things going on we get an inside look of what it was like for the Lakers basket ball team to win championship.. In the bubble..during the pandemic..with racial troubles at an all time high..and they were still able to win the championship. All basketball fan should read this book
During this time of so many new things going on we get an inside look of what it was like for the Lakers basket ball team to win championship.. In the bubble..during the pandemic..with racial troubles at an all time high..and they were still able to win the championship. All basketball fan should read this book
February 24, 2021
Short but sweet. Jared described the NBA bubble during the pandemic in a way the reader could picture it. The season they played for their fans, for Kobe, and for each other was at the expense of their freedom. While it certainly did not equate to jail, it took away the daily liberties we take for granted. Jared is a phenomenal person and leader. I cannot wait to see where he goes from here.
March 12, 2021
Quick Read
Laker fan & Dudley fan as well! I could almost feel what the players were going through in the Bubble & how they were completely immersed in an out of reality experience for almost 100 days!! This book is well written & keeps you wanting to get to the next sentence, next paragraph, next page & next chapter!!!
Laker fan & Dudley fan as well! I could almost feel what the players were going through in the Bubble & how they were completely immersed in an out of reality experience for almost 100 days!! This book is well written & keeps you wanting to get to the next sentence, next paragraph, next page & next chapter!!!
June 2, 2021
A free book from Amazon Prime, probably worth the price. Describes how a lesser player on the eventual championship L.A. Lakers experienced the pandemic from inside the play-off bubble. Short, moderately interesting. Highlights the different experiences for the stars (Lebron James, who still comes off as a good guy) and the supporting players.
June 9, 2021
Ride Along with the Lakers
This was an inside look at the Lakers during a heartbreaking and heartwarming season. The loss of Kobe, Covid19 and a new championship all in one tumultuous season. Narrated by Jared Dudley, this is a must for any Lakers fan, a true insiders guide to what really happened.
This was an inside look at the Lakers during a heartbreaking and heartwarming season. The loss of Kobe, Covid19 and a new championship all in one tumultuous season. Narrated by Jared Dudley, this is a must for any Lakers fan, a true insiders guide to what really happened.
December 9, 2022
Good story
some good insight into the NBA Bubble during the COVOD-19 global pandemic in 2020. Any Lakers will enjoy the stories and this is a very short and easy reads so youngsters can enjoy this too. The author, Jared Dudley is well respected veteran leader in the NBA and after his book,you can see why.
some good insight into the NBA Bubble during the COVOD-19 global pandemic in 2020. Any Lakers will enjoy the stories and this is a very short and easy reads so youngsters can enjoy this too. The author, Jared Dudley is well respected veteran leader in the NBA and after his book,you can see why.
January 27, 2023
Ah nice short story on what life was like in the bubble. The best part is the end where he spends most of the bubble time wanting to get out but in the end, he realizes he misses the bubble. I've had a similar experience where I spent 2 months living in a pseudo bubble and I look back now as some of my fondest memories.
July 16, 2023
“Inside look at life in the NBA bubble”
A very short quick read. I didn’t realise how short it was, it is supposed to be about one member of the Lakers experience in the bubble. Unfortunately, due to the length, it is a very superficial look.. would have loved a longer version, giving more details about life in the bubble as well as the games themselves.
A very short quick read. I didn’t realise how short it was, it is supposed to be about one member of the Lakers experience in the bubble. Unfortunately, due to the length, it is a very superficial look.. would have loved a longer version, giving more details about life in the bubble as well as the games themselves.
January 1, 2024
We learned that Dudley is a real dude for almost thinking about the livelihood of people, and how much senior people have a collective say over player decisions. We learned that Silver implemented very strict rules in the bubble. We learned almost nothing basketball-wise though…Except Rondo has the highest basketball IQ like ever
February 4, 2021
A good view in the mind of Dudz
The book was a good read to get a better understanding of a basketball player. From China to the Bubble, just to know what the players went through was really interesting. Any basketball head/Lakers lovers should read this!!!
The book was a good read to get a better understanding of a basketball player. From China to the Bubble, just to know what the players went through was really interesting. Any basketball head/Lakers lovers should read this!!!
February 26, 2021
Fun!
NBA bubble⭐️
It was like a covid overview from an NBA star and I really enjoyed it! From the initial lockdown to BLM to figuring out what normal is again.
My favorite part “you want us to play without fans?”
NBA bubble⭐️
It was like a covid overview from an NBA star and I really enjoyed it! From the initial lockdown to BLM to figuring out what normal is again.
My favorite part “you want us to play without fans?”
March 8, 2021
This book gave a true in depth, behind the scenes on how 2020 affected the multi-billion dollar corporation. How everyone dealt with the confinement inside the bubble, as well as the changes that took place outside the bubble. This is a must read for all
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews