“I had a great time whooping the Lakers’ a**” - Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis says the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers was a important moment
There are few greater rivals in professional sports than the one between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. As two of the NBA's most historic and successful franchises, they have battled it out across multiple decades.
From the 1960's to the 1980's, Boston and LA were typically good at the same time. Whether it was Bill Russell battling it out against Wilt Chamberlain or Larry Bird going to-toe-toe with Magic Johnson, there have been countless historic matchups between these two teams.
Heading into the 90's, this rivaliry died down a little as Michael Jordan rose to dominance. The bitter rivals got the chance to reignite their feud until 2008 when they met in the NBA Finals.
On the Boston side, they had formed a big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. The final roadblock in the trio securing a championship was a meeting against Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and the Lakers.
(2008) Kobe Bryant goes off in the 4th quarter and leads the Lakers to the NBA Finals.
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In the end, it was Boston who hoisted the trophy. Kobe and the Lakers did not go quietly and got their revenge in 2010 when these teams met again in the finals. Recently, Glen 'Big Baby' Davis opened up on what it means to be part of this historic rivalry.
"It was great man it was an epic series because you got the new era of the big three the lakers the celtics that whole tradition right there and then our journey through the playoffs... I had a great time whooping the lakers ass."
The Boston Celtics and LA Lakers rivalry stands the test of time
Instances like this are a testament to what makes this rivalry special. Nearly 15 years later, Davis is still proud of not only getting to be a chapter in this storied history, but to be on the winning side.
June 17, 2008: The Celtics destroy the Lakers 131-92 in G6 of the NBA Finals in Boston to win the championship.
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Unfortunately for the current generation of fans, they had to turn back time to witness the importance of this rivalry. While Boston is fresh off a finals appearance, the Lakers find themselves in a rough patch.
One reason why the LA and Boston rivalry is among the best in sports is because it stands the test of time. All these years later, the stories of the battles between legends are still being told. It's become one of those things that are just bigger than the game.
It remains unknown when we'll get the next good chapter in the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, but there is no denying that there are few feuds that come close in comparison.