Austin Rivers believes 2020 NBA champion should have different kind of asterisk
Should this year's NBA champions receive an asterisk next to their title? This has been a topic of discussion for months, and Austin Rivers is taking a thoughtful approach to the matter.
The Houston Rockets guard believes the 2020 champion should receive an asterisk, but not for the reason you may think.
A positive asterisk certainly is something, and it hasn't necessarily been thought about until Rivers floated the idea out there. He isn't wrong, either.
The remainder of the NBA season will be grueling at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Players may be out of basketball shape, and the mental strain it'll put on players is going to be difficult by itself.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka even believes the season resume will be a "mental test" for all involved, especially considering they'll be isolated for over two months away from their families.
If Rivers and the Rockets want to win the title, they'll have an uphill battle. Houston has the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a 40-24 record, though they could potentially climb as high as the No. 3 seed by the time seeding games are done.
It won't be easy to defeat the Lakers, but the Rockets at least have hope with players like James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington.
More must-reads: