The last time the Celtics were in the NBA Finals was 1987. Their "Big 3" at the time consisted of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Of the Celtics' current "Big 3" - Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett - Allen was the oldest at just 11 years old. It's been a long time waiting for the city of Boston to return to the basketball promised land but here they are facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers, their very same opponent 21 years ago.
The Roots of the Rivalry
There is a lot of history between these two teams who, prior to this season, have met 10 times in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won the first 8 series, spanning from 1958-59 to 1983-84, before the Lakers, led by Magic Johnson, took the last two (1984-85 and 1986-87). The games over the years have featured legendary players such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to name a handful. They also featured spectacular plays forever destined for highlight reels (i.e. Magic's skyhook as he crossed through the lane that gave the Lakers a Game 4 victory in the '86-87 finals). It was during the 1980s that the chorus of Celtics fans began the "Beat L.A." chant that filled the Boston Garden with a haunting and intimidating feeling for the visiting Lakers. And the rivalry between Bird and Magic, one that began during their college careers, was at a fevered pitch. Then, not long after the '87 championship, everything began to change.
The Disappearance of Two Dynasties
When Bird and Magic retired in the early '90s, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry retired as well. Both teams - more notably Boston - lost the "magic" that had enabled them to share 8 championship titles during the '80s. Following Bird's retirement, Boston made the playoffs only twice over the next 9 seasons, losing in the first round each time. Their biggest accomplishment in the post-Bird era was an appearance in the 2001-02 conference final, which they lost to New Jersey in six games. Last season, they finished with the worst record in the league, winning only 24 games and losing 58.
The Lakers didn't fare as poorly and actually experienced a dynasty-like resurgence when they won three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2002. They also appeared in the 2003-04 finals, losing to the Pistons in 5 games. But their run stopped when Shaquille O'Neal left the team after the 2003-04 season to win the 2005 title with the Miami Heat. The Lakers failed to make the playoffs the season following O'Neal's departure and were knocked out in the first round in each of the next two years.
What a Difference a Season Makes
Both teams hit rock bottom last season as Pierce openly displayed his frustration over the Celtics' struggles and Kobe Bryant was the subject of a new trade rumour every week during the summer. But both teams persevered and in only one season transformed their fortunes immensely. Boston experienced the best one-season turnaround of any team in NBA history after building its roster with the additions of Allen and Garnett, both chasing the title which has eluded them for so long. And, L.A. saw Kobe Bryant step to the front and carry HIS team to the best record in the Western Conference. He also won his first MVP trophy.
Now the Celtics and Lakers are poised to meet again on June 5th, when L.A. visits Boston for Game 1. Boston will be chasing its 17th title while L.A. will search for its 15th. Could this series ignite the rivalry again? We'll have to wait and see.
Pierce vs Bryant...sounds good, doesn't it?
Sources:
www.nba.com
www.nba.com/lakers
www.nba.com/celtics
