Jared Dudley has played some 900 games in the NBA since 2007 — for Charlotte, Phoenix, the LA Clippers, Bucks, Wizards, Nets and LA Lakers. But he’s never experienced anything like the past two seasons — when the Lakers added LeBron James, lost Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash, went into the Disney bubble to ride out the pandemic, and then won the NBA Finals over Miami.
Dudley, who starred at Boston College before joining the league, is the author of the new Amazon title "Inside The NBA Bubble," recounting the extraordinary 2020 season from the vantage point of a longtime league veteran, father and now NBA champion.
Your essay is about life in the NBA bubble. Is there anything this season that you miss from life in the bubble?
Wow, not really, I would just say the camaraderie of the guys, you’re with the guys all the time, we went to this restaurant called the three bridges us just hanging out, you feel like you're back in college. So if you miss maybe playing video games with the gods and not having to worry about wiping kids for a couple hours. I mean, maybe that but not too much, man, to be honest with you.
How is the league different this year? I mean, there are still strict limitations on fans, but you are going from city to city.
To me, biggest thing is being with your family. I mean, you could see your family 24/7, I can go to the gas station, I can go to grocery store, I'm allowed to do stuff like that. Now, I can't be out and dining and be out there, you know, socializing without a mask. And obviously, you know, you gotta be smart about it, I can have someone come to my house, I can I have the resources to test them up to three, four days beforehand and have them come over. So it's just I think the social, you know, when you interact with people that we have here that you didn't have before, and it just it's just the little things, man. And that's it makes a huge difference in life.
Did you ever have apprehension about going into the bubble last year? Given the fact that you're older for an NBA player, you've got your family, like you mentioned, and that really was a sacrifice to make to get the season together.
I never thought about not going. I thought that it was something we had to do. I just thought it was too much of a financial hit on players and owners, for us to be able to lose that billions of dollars. I thought that we owed it to our communities to be able to use our voice to help change. And that helped. For us to be able to almost boycott games after Blake was shot, we made the owners have to open up their arenas for guys, first to vote. And as you saw, Biden got in. Owners using their money and resources to help organizations to help change and change law. So it was a start. And if we don't go there, we don't get that. So I was always a proponent. We have to go to the bubble. We have to crown a champion, we have to keep the business of basketball going. And also, for the community to raise awareness of what's going on in society.
The political part of life in the NBA really escalated last year and the last several years during the Trump administration. Now that President Biden is in and Trump is gone, do you think players have a different attitude towards politics? Or is the activism still going to be a big part of the league?
Activism is still going to be a big part of the league. It's a start. Obviously, when you have new leadership, and someone that you think is going to be able to help change things, it’s in a positive direction. But it's still like, let's be honest, even the president has trouble changing laws and stuff like that. So it's gonna take, we know that. We have to be patient, we have to come up with a strategic plan of how we're going to see change. And we have to just call out every time someone's doing something racist or wrong, that's not you know, that's not right. It needs to be called out and held accountable. So for us, it's a start, you know. It'd be a nice gesture if somehow the Lakers could go to the White House.
You've been in the league for like 14 years now. And I think it's fair to say you've never been a superstar player, always a valuable player on rosters. What have you done to stick around that long?
It's good question. You have to be able to evolve. I knew that when the when the game was when the game's changing, you have to change with the game. Don't be stubborn. So when I came in as a power forward energy, Junkyard Dog, that was my nickname, to a 3-point specialist, to then a veteran leader that helps young teams. And through my leadership, a guy that you needed in that locker room. Helped players. Knew his role. Was like a coach in the locker room, who held guys accountable, who was vocal enough. And that’s something that, you know, is invaluable, and that's what made me stick this long.
You've played with LeBron now. You've played against him for many years. What do you think the public and fans of the league get wrong or don't know about him?
Well, I think everyone, even if people don't like him, know he's really, really good. I do think that he's someone that people might not know, man. He's just a guy's guy who wants to be with the guys, wants to hang out with us, wants to do whatever he can to help his team win. And it's so funny. For someone who's so good, he's so unselfish. He actually likes better to pass the ball. And so when you're unselfish, you're genuinely a nice guy. That's what makes you nice. You're so unselfish, you care for others. And so I think that people get it wrong, where they might think he's stuck up or arrogant, he's actually selfless and caring, to be real. And I don't think they get to see that side. Because they aren’t there on an everyday basis. You don't get to meet LeBron the person, you meet LeBron the player.
How did it all come together for the Lakers last season? What was the secret to getting that championship given the break in the middle of the season, and then the run through the playoffs in the bubble?
Chemistry. I think we had the number one chemistry, everyone liked each other. Everyone knew their role and accepted it. And because of that, it's very rare. Most teams don't have that. You have guys that are trying to get paid money, don't care about winning. On this team, people only cared about the championship, no one cared about numbers or stats. And it's easier to do that when you like each other. And that's one thing we had was chemistry.
One thing you talk about in the essay is the weirdness of having won a championship in front of no fans, and then going back home, finally emerging from the bubble and not being able to go right to a parade. How strange was that experience? Because I'm sure you had imagined it many times during your career.
Man, it was just surreal. Like, I had people driving around my house honking, you know, congratulating me because they couldn't come in. You just keep hearing honks and honks. The only example I can give you is a guy who was in prison who gets out of prison, like, so much has changed. Like, my family had their routine, and I'm coming home. And now I'm free. And I have nothing to do. It's offseason. And I literally have so much time, but everyone's doing their thing. And I'm trying to catch up. But yet, we're still in a pandemic, nothing has really changed. So it was just a weird feeling. I'm calling my teammates like ‘Yo, I’m bored, what you're doing or when’s the next time we can see each other?’
It's clear that you enjoy your media appearances, and you'll probably have a career on this side of the microphone. How much longer do you want to play in the NBA?
I want to play this year and one more year to get to 15. I'd love to have fans and have my son to be able to come to one more season, watching games and interacting with players and trying to you know keep giving him in his mind the creativeness of wanting to play and reach his goals and be able to see it up close. And so I would love to play you know, this year and one more year.
And that would give you the chance to get in front of fans again, too.
For sure. That's the whole point I'm trying to do. We'll see what happens. But, you know, if you win, everything that is supposed to happen happens.
As a fan, it seems to me that defense in college basketball is kind of lessened without the crowds there. It just makes it less intense in some important moments. Have you noticed any changes in the way the game is played in the last couple of seasons without the deafening roar and that kind of thing?
Oh, for sure. Some players play different. Less pressure, less stress. You know, the crowd intimidates you. It makes you play differently. Usually, you know, stars play better on the road, because role players play better at home. And that's not been the case. You see guys having career games on the road and different stuff like that. And it's not their fault. It is what it is. But the game is totally different. And you will see a change in that when fans come back.
