The history of the Lakers and Celtics rivalry
Bill Russell – The reason for Celtics domination in the 60s
Los Angeles Lakers fans hate the Bostn Celtics and the Celtics fans hate the Lakers.
That will forever be the relation shared by the fan base of the two franchises. The oldest rivalry in the NBA without doubt, the two franchises account for almost half the number of NBA titles won, 33 of the 67 championships.
Boston leading with 17 of the 33, hold the edge against the Lakers.
First two decades:
NBA’s first dynasty consisted of George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers winning the inaugural edition in 1950, followed by a three-peat in the years from 1952-1954.
However the domination that followed by the evolution of a Celtics team would never be forgotten by any Lakers fan or even basketball fan for that matter.
A team consisting of Hall of Famer Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones and Tom Heinsohn led by legendary coach Red Auerbach were crowned champions every year in the 1960s along with their title in 1959, with the exception of 1967. Six of those wins came against Lakers in 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969. The frustration had risen to an extent that then Lakers caption Jerry West agrees he hated anything green because of their repeated losses in the Finals.
In 1968 Lakers acquired Wilt Chamberlain from Philadelphia and the Lakers-Celtics rivalry evolved into a Russell-Chamberlain rivalry in the 1969 Finals which went all the way to 7 games. Though rivals, they were always good friends but the rivalry got the better of them in 1969 when Russell accused Chamberlain of copping out in game 7 when it would seem that the Lakers were to lose.
The first two decade of the NBA had set the tone for a rivalry for the ages.
The 1970s:
Both teams tasted success in the 70s however none at the expense of each other. After a decade of misery of losing in the Finals, Lakers made it to the finals in 1970 only to lose again this time to the New York Knicks. They would bounce back two years later to win the title against the Knicks in 1972. However this championship, Jerry west’s lone title, was the only title the Lakers grabbed in the decade.
Celtics on the other hand won titles in 1974 and 1976 led by player turned Coach Tom Heinsohnw with players like Jo Jo White, Paul Silas, and Dave Cowens.
Their rivalry had seen much attention this decade, but that would soon change in the 80’s.
The 1980s:
Their rivalry for the 80s would actually originate in the NCAA tournament of 1978-1979, Michigan State was led by Magic Johnson to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, where they faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird in what was the most watched basketball game ever. In the following year’s draft lottery, Bird would be picked by the Celtics while Magic was drafted by the Lakers.
What followed in the 80s was a domination of these, both teams winning a combined 7 titles in the decade with Lakers winning 4. This decade however Lakers gained the upper hand when it comes to beating the Greens in the Finals, leading the Finals series 2-1.
In the 1984 season the Lakers led the series 2-1 after humiliating Celtics in game 3 with a blowout. Bird called out to his teammates and they would respond in game 4 and 5, which was played in sweltering conditions (Boston Garden lacked air conditioning). Kevin McHale’s close line on Kurt Rambis in game 4 created an atmosphere in the series that fists could fly at any moment. Celtics came out victorious in
In 1985, after being blown away in game 1, dubbed the “Memorial Day Massacre”, Lakers won this bout with the Celtics and off came a 10 ton gorilla off the back off Lakers fans. This first win against the Greens came on the strength and stellar performances of 38 year old Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
The 1987 series gave us the legendary Sky hook from Magic Johnson in game 4 at the Garden and proved the world of basketball that their 85 victory over their rivals was no one-off!
The 1990s – The Lull
Retirements saw rebuilding taking place in both teams, meanwhile Chicago Bulls were taming the league winning three straight.
Johnson gave in when he was tested positive with HIV and the Celtics Larry Bird, Kevin McHale had retired while Robert Parish was traded.
The Lakers rebuilding process started when they acquired Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in the 1996. Their combo was the reason Lakers achieved their three-peat since the 50’s at the start of the new millennium.
The new millennium
The 2000s saw the growth of the Lakers into a dynasty and also witnessed its fall however their trip to the finals in 2007 after 3 years of rebuilding saw them meet the Celtics.
Danny Ainge had a made blockbuster trade of acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett from the Seattle Supersonics and Minnesota Timberwolves respectively to accompany Paul Pierce in hopes of bringing glory back to the Garden.
The mission succeeded with Celtics winning their first title in 21 years and it came at the hands of their old rivals Lakers.
IT WAS OFFICIAL!
The rivalry was restored. The following years every regular season game between the two was followed closely by fans of both teams.
Captains of the renewed rivalry
Lakers made it to 3 consecutive Finals appearances after winning it against Orlando Magic in 2009 to once again face their old rivals in 2010. Kobe Bryant wasn’t going to let go off this opportunity and looked focused and a man on a mission throughout the series.
The Finals series between the two stands at 9-3 however in total championships, Lakers trail the Celtics by just one. Would the Lakers tie it all up or would the Celtics widen their lead?
Get the popcorn out guys! That question isn’t going to be answered for some time on Lebron James and the Miami Heat’s watch. Add to the fact that Celtics and Lakers both are in rebuilding mode and their chances of a title run stand close to nil.