Quick Intro: Celtics-Lakers Rivarly

Basketball fans of all sorts, ranging from the over-involved team owner (Mark Cuban) to the little kid who attends his first game, are well rehearsed on the Celtics- Lakers rivalry, but here is a quick intro for those who are in the dark. This rivalry has taken decades to form but has reached an all time high since the 2008 NBA playoffs. The Lakers are that one team that other teams find trouble beating and only one other team can knock them off their throne. The Celtics are just that team that can keep the Lakers guessing every time they meet. Read on to understand why the Celtics- Lakers rivalry is one of the most celebrated rivalries in NBA history.

First Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals matchup

1959 was the year in which people were chanting Minneapolis Lakers instead of L.A. Lakers. This was the year that started the all too famous Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Celtics swept the Lakers in the 1959 NBA Championship and made them question if they would be able to win a championship against the Celtics in Minneapolis. Of all the places, Laker fans knew that the Lakers would not be able to properly handle business while still in Minneapolis.

8 Straight

For 8 straight NBA Championships against the Los Angeles Lakers the Celtics came out victorious eight out of eight times. Not once did the Lakers manage to pull off something remotely close to a win. It was evident that Minneapolis was not crowning any NBA Champions any time soon.

Magic vs. Bird

 The era of the all too famous Magic vs. Bird rivalry had began. By this time the Minneapolis Lakers had now become the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers made magic with Magic Johnson while the Celtics answered with Larry Bird. Magic was the Lakers answer for not bringing back the trophy and Bird was there to make sure that the Celtics continued to bring home the trophy. The two teams met in the finals for the second, third, and fourth time in 1984, 1985, and 1987. Lakers acquired the magic touch that they were missing the first time and won two out of those three Championship finals in 1985 and 1987.

2008-2010 Rivalry renewed

In 2008 the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was renewed with a fresh roster, facing off for the first time in twenty-one years. Lakers were cast as the potential winners of the 2008 NBA Championship. Fans, players, and especially Kobe Bryant were shocked that Lakers did not rise out of the storm with the NBA Championship. Many believe that 2010 is the year that Lakers will increase their wins in the Celtic-Lakers rivalry by three. Since 2008 they have acquired the gift from above, Pau Gasol as well as a superstar who isn’t such a ball hog anymore (Kobe Bryant), and of course the firecracker, Ron Artest.