Rockets' Rivers: NBA champ deserves respect for tough title run

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers believes the 2019-20 NBA champion should have an asterisk next to their name because of the circumstances surrounding the current campaign.

"You're asking guys to take three-to-four months off, then come back and find chemistry, then play during a pandemic, while players are fighting for BLM," Rivers told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks. "There's a lot going on right now. Crazy times and a lot of worry. And during these times, players are leaving their families to go live in a locked down bubble.

"So for all these reasons and more, I think it will be one of the more tougher championships ever won."

Rivers' father, Doc, echoed a similar response when he appeared on his son's podcast in May. The Los Angeles Clippers head coach argued that this season's title would be "the hardest one to win."

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal went against that perspective, stating that whomever comes out on top won't get the respect.