The Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics is not David vs. Goliath. It’s more like Kong vs. Godzilla.
Take your pick. Yankees/Red Sox, Ali/Frazier, 49ers/Cowboys, etc.
The Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics rivalry is something that goes back a long, long way. It is probably one of the best examples of two rival teams going at each other in a classic matchup. It’s something that will be around as long as professional basketball lives on.
Just think of all the great games that took place between the two. A large number of great players that squared off against each other in these intense matchups. For it was not too long ago that the Lakers defeated the Celtics in the 2010 finals. The late, great Kobe Bryant lead that team to a championship victory just two years after losing to the Celtics in the 2008 finals.
The Celtics have had the better of the Lakers with an all-time series record of 204-162. That sure is a lot of games when you think about it. After all, this classic matchup goes all the way back to 1948 when both teams met for the first time. (The Celtics won 77-55 and that was when they were the Minneapolis Lakers.) Almost 73 years ago.
I can remember the days of the classic matchups between these two when the NBA was no holds barred. Bird, McHale, Parrish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, and head coach K.C. Jones would face off against Magic, Worthy, Kareem, A.C. Green, Byron Scott, and head coach Pat Riley.
These were intense and heated matchups as the competition level was so high between the two. Especially between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and head coach Phil Jackson would matchup against Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and head coach Doc Rivers in the late 2000s as both teams were legit threats in the NBA. These were classic matchups in more recent times as both teams were not afraid to admit that they had no love for each other.
Now we come to tonight’s matchup. It’s a brand new generation but the same old song. Two ultra talented teams, one looking to repeat as champions and the other trying to win their first ring since 2008.
The Lakers, led by LeBron James and possibly Anthony Davis (If he plays.) against the Celtics whom have their own dynamic duo of Jason Tatum and Jaylon Brown. Both the Lakers and the Celtics are tied for the most championships at 17-17. Could there be a better situation for the two? I think not.