The 2020 Bubble will be remembered for many things. A new, exciting generation was forming with the Phoenix Suns , while the Los Angeles Lakers were charging relentlessly toward the Larry O'Brien trophy. However, it can also be said that this is where the Denver Nuggets dynasty was born, a dynasty that still lasts to this day.
After coming back from a 3–1 deficit against the Utah Jazz in the first round, the Nuggets did the same against the Los Angeles Clippers , becoming the first team in NBA history to pull off two such comebacks in a single playoff run. Still, the series against the Clippers was special for several reasons.
Across from them stood a team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George , constructed to win it all in their very first season together. One of the members of that Clippers team was Ivica Zubac , who reluctantly remembers that truly epic series.
"I deleted all social media for six months after that. The way people mocked us, what they were doing to us on social media, it was really ugly," Zubac recalled on the "X&O's CHAT" Podcast. "But we were the only ones to blame. We carried ourselves like we were the best, that's how we felt."
After taking a relatively easy 3–1 lead and holding a 16-point advantage in Game 5, many already saw them in a potential Western Conference finals against their city rivals. In that game, "The Klaw" and PG combined for 62 points, but Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray answered by combining for 48 points, 22 rebounds and 12 assists.
Still, as Zubac points out, no one on the team was worried.
"We were kind of relaxed. We didn't really adjust anything for the next game. Everything stayed the same," Zubac said. "In the third quarter, we're up 15 again. Then there's a moment where Jamal Murray falls down and is rolling in pain. During that timeout, one of the players says, 'That's it, they gave up.' Kawhi hears it and says, 'They didn't give up, we have to finish them.'"
Everything after that is history, as Michael Malone's team completed another comeback and won Game 7. After a tight first half, the Nuggets took control and won by 104–89, with the Clippers clearly in a major mental collapse after blowing such a huge lead.
Once again, the Serbian-Canadian duo delivered — Murray with 40 points, and the Serbian center with 16 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists and three blocks. The Nuggets later lost 4–1 to the eventual champion Lakers, but they laid the foundation for everything that would come later.
Fast forward to today: the Nuggets won the first title in franchise history in 2023 after defeating the Miami Heat in the Finals, while the Clippers recently traded James Harden and Zubac, officially turning toward a new direction.
Leonard is the only active player from that Bubble roster still on the team, and it is increasingly clear that Steve Ballmer's project with him as the leader has failed, despite his excellent individual performances.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
