3. Pat Riley Calls the Repeat in 1987
After capturing his third championship as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987, Pat Riley took the stage on parade day for an absolutely vintage Riley moment.
With his slicked-back hair, Aviator shades, and winning smile, Riley was the epitome of Los Angeles. In typical big-shot fashion, Riley pronounced with complete certainty that the Lakers would repeat by winning the title again in 1988.
Repeats are relatively common these days, but the proclamation was a big deal at the time. To that point, only two franchises in NBA history had repeated as champions.
Although the Lakers were one of these franchises, they hadn’t done it since moving to Los Angeles. The other franchise to do it? The Lakers’ most hated rival: The Boston Celtics.
After the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, the Boston Celtics took on the moniker of the best franchise in basketball. In the 1960s, the Celtics absolutely dominated the NBA. From 1959-1966, they rattled off a record eight straight titles. Although their streak came to an end in 1967, they were able to tack on two more in 1968 and 1969.
In short, Riley’s proclamation cemented not only the Lakers as a winning franchise but also Los Angeles as a winning town. The repeat drought not only illustrated the Celtics’ upper hand in the rivalry but also the lack of success while in Los Angeles.
The 1987-1988 repeat might have been the last for this iteration of the Lakers, but it launched a title drought for Boston that lasted until 2008. Additionally, this title marked the first time the Lakers outperformed the Celtics over the course of a decade. By the end of the 1980s, the Lakers put up an impressive five titles to Boston’s three.