The Celtics–Lakers rivalry involves the two most storied franchises in the NBA. It has been called the best rivalry in the NBA. The two teams have met a record twelve times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and 1980s, facing each other six times in the 60s and three times in the 80s.
The rivalry had been less intense since the retirements of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the early 1990s, but in 2008 it was renewed as the Celtics and Lakers met in the Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series 4–2. They faced off once again in the 2010 NBA Finals which the Lakers won in 7 games. The two teams have won the two highest numbers of championships, the Celtics 17, the Lakers 16; together, the 33 championships account for half of the 66 championships in NBA history.
The Lakers and Celtics have met 12 times in the Finals. To date, Boston has won nine and L.A. three (with the Celtics having won the first eight).
It started in the late '50s, before the Lakers had even moved west, with Bill Russell and Bob Cousy going against Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. By the end of the '60s, it had morphed into Russell versus Wilt Chamberlain. The 1970s was a dry patch in the rivalry, though both franchises won titles during the decade. The 1980s came back with a vengeance during the Magic vs. Bird years, before the 1990s turned into a nadir for both franchises.
The Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in 1960. It was after this move, and during this decade, that the rivalry would truly escalate. The two teams emerged as the strongest in the NBA, featuring greats such as Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones and head coach Red Auerbach for Boston and Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and coach/GM Fred Schaus for Los Angeles.
In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics would find an eternal enemy, one that has stood the test of the time and continued to add new chapters nearly 50 years later: the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers met in the Finals seven times prior to the Bird-Johnson years, the first in 1959 when the Lakers were still based in Minneapolis (they would relocate to Los Angeles in 1960). While the Celtics won that contest and the next six, the series were hard-fought — three of them went the full seven games ('62, '66, and '69) — and the battles between hall-of-famers Bob Cousy and Jerry West, and Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were a precursor of what was to follow.
The Lakers regrouped to claim the title in 1985, the first visiting team to win a championship at the famously unfriendly Boston Garden. Bird and Johnson's third and final faceoff was in 1987. Both players turned in career-defining performances, but it was Johnson who led his Lakers to their second title. Averaging 26.2 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds, Johnson was nearly perfect in his MVP performance, which included the famous "junior sky hook" he sank in the last seconds to win Game 4.
The Celtics and Lakers rivalry ruled the NBA world in the 1980s.
Showtime Lakers made up on superstar point guard Magic Johnson along with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy.
The Celtics were led by the big three: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish.
Despite the heated battles, both teams had a great deal of respect for one another. Bird and Magic were great friends off the court despite being mortal enemies on it.
After Bird and Magic and the rest of the Celtics and Lakers greats retired in the early '90s, both teams went through a drought.
The rivalry had been less intense since the retirements of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the early 1990s, but in 2008 it was renewed as the Celtics and Lakers met in the Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series 4–2. They faced off once again in the 2010 NBA Finals which the Lakers won in 7 games. The two teams have won the two highest numbers of championships, the Celtics 17, the Lakers 16; together, the 33 championships account for half of the 66 championships in NBA history.
The Lakers and Celtics have met 12 times in the Finals. To date, Boston has won nine and L.A. three (with the Celtics having won the first eight).
It started in the late '50s, before the Lakers had even moved west, with Bill Russell and Bob Cousy going against Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. By the end of the '60s, it had morphed into Russell versus Wilt Chamberlain. The 1970s was a dry patch in the rivalry, though both franchises won titles during the decade. The 1980s came back with a vengeance during the Magic vs. Bird years, before the 1990s turned into a nadir for both franchises.
The Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in 1960. It was after this move, and during this decade, that the rivalry would truly escalate. The two teams emerged as the strongest in the NBA, featuring greats such as Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones and head coach Red Auerbach for Boston and Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and coach/GM Fred Schaus for Los Angeles.
In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics would find an eternal enemy, one that has stood the test of the time and continued to add new chapters nearly 50 years later: the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers met in the Finals seven times prior to the Bird-Johnson years, the first in 1959 when the Lakers were still based in Minneapolis (they would relocate to Los Angeles in 1960). While the Celtics won that contest and the next six, the series were hard-fought — three of them went the full seven games ('62, '66, and '69) — and the battles between hall-of-famers Bob Cousy and Jerry West, and Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were a precursor of what was to follow.
The Lakers regrouped to claim the title in 1985, the first visiting team to win a championship at the famously unfriendly Boston Garden. Bird and Johnson's third and final faceoff was in 1987. Both players turned in career-defining performances, but it was Johnson who led his Lakers to their second title. Averaging 26.2 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds, Johnson was nearly perfect in his MVP performance, which included the famous "junior sky hook" he sank in the last seconds to win Game 4.
The Celtics and Lakers rivalry ruled the NBA world in the 1980s.
Showtime Lakers made up on superstar point guard Magic Johnson along with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy.
The Celtics were led by the big three: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish.
Despite the heated battles, both teams had a great deal of respect for one another. Bird and Magic were great friends off the court despite being mortal enemies on it.
After Bird and Magic and the rest of the Celtics and Lakers greats retired in the early '90s, both teams went through a drought.
'Magic - Bird' Era
Magic said of the games against the Celtics, "when the new schedule would come out each year, I'd grab it and circle the Boston games. To me, it was The Two and the other 80." Similarly, Bird said that, "the first thing I would do every morning was look at the box scores to see what Magic did. I didn't care about anything else.”
The rivalry between Larry and Magic had stemmed from their college days at Michigan State and Indiana State where they battled previously. They knew each other and had always been in each other’s way.
They were two teams who totally contrasted each other in style of play, style of coaching, and even race. In a time where race was a huge talking point for the younger generation, Magic and Larry were both idolized, and crossed racial lines quite easily.
The rivalry between Larry and Magic had stemmed from their college days at Michigan State and Indiana State where they battled previously. They knew each other and had always been in each other’s way.
They were two teams who totally contrasted each other in style of play, style of coaching, and even race. In a time where race was a huge talking point for the younger generation, Magic and Larry were both idolized, and crossed racial lines quite easily.
Still, some of the public drew lines in the sand: if you were white, you should’ve been rooting for Larry and the Celtics. If you were black, you were supposed to be hoping for the Lakers to kick the Celtics behinds all over the floor.
The dislike between Magic and Bird began to simmer down when the two greats got to know each other through a commercial shoot. They found out that there were many similarities between them, though they both had contrasting personalities. This is one of the best rivalries of all time because of the great on-court product, and the relationship that eventually developed between the league’s two best players. These two legends put their differences aside and showed the world how to get along. They remained competitive on the basketball court and wanted to beat each other, but the mutual respect between the two was a genuine thing that made the rivalry the greatest of all time. The friendship that Larry and Magic had developed would continue to live on even after Magic Johnson had come down with the HIV virus, forcing him to retire from the NBA.
For many, the Bird-Johnson years were the NBA's Golden Age, and there was a sad sense that it might be gone forever. But the two match-ups in 2008 (Boston in six) and 2010 have reignited a nostalgic spark. This year's finals are the most watched of recent history.
The dislike between Magic and Bird began to simmer down when the two greats got to know each other through a commercial shoot. They found out that there were many similarities between them, though they both had contrasting personalities. This is one of the best rivalries of all time because of the great on-court product, and the relationship that eventually developed between the league’s two best players. These two legends put their differences aside and showed the world how to get along. They remained competitive on the basketball court and wanted to beat each other, but the mutual respect between the two was a genuine thing that made the rivalry the greatest of all time. The friendship that Larry and Magic had developed would continue to live on even after Magic Johnson had come down with the HIV virus, forcing him to retire from the NBA.
For many, the Bird-Johnson years were the NBA's Golden Age, and there was a sad sense that it might be gone forever. But the two match-ups in 2008 (Boston in six) and 2010 have reignited a nostalgic spark. This year's finals are the most watched of recent history.
One on One
Year Winner Series
1959 Boston Celtics 4–0
1962 Boston Celtics 4–3
1963 Boston Celtics 4–2
1965 Boston Celtics 4–1
1966 Boston Celtics 4–3
1968 Boston Celtics 4–3
1969 Boston Celtics 4–3
1984 Boston Celtics 4–3
1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
1987 Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
2008 Boston Celtics 4–2
2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
1959 Boston Celtics 4–0
1962 Boston Celtics 4–3
1963 Boston Celtics 4–2
1965 Boston Celtics 4–1
1966 Boston Celtics 4–3
1968 Boston Celtics 4–3
1969 Boston Celtics 4–3
1984 Boston Celtics 4–3
1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
1987 Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
2008 Boston Celtics 4–2
2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4–3
References: Wikipedia; Time; Kidzworld; Dime; Insider; Hardwood Paroxysm
Photos Courtesy: Google Images
Photos Courtesy: Google Images