The Lakers-Celtics rivalry is reborn with LeBron signing in Los Angeles
LeBron James officially reignited the Los Angeles vs. Boston rivalry that had begun to cool in recent years.
With LeBron James headed to the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA will finally get their wish: Boston vs. Los Angeles is back, baby.
It’s funny how things work out. Last offseason, Kyrie Irving shockingly demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers following three straight trips to the Finals and one championship. The asset-hoarding Celtics wasted little time swooping in. Adding Irving to a team that had just made the Eastern Conference Finals and acquired Gordon Hayward was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, we were robbed of an Irving vs. James showdown in the Conference Finals this past season due to an injury to the Boston guard.
The Lakers are always rumored to be the premier destination for free agents. If you ask Lakers fans, they’ve signed every marquee free agent in the last five years and will sign every marquee free agent in the next five. The truth is, their last big free agent acquisition was Shaquille O’Neal in 1996. Until Sunday, when LeBron James announced he would be leaving the Cavaliers for the Lakers.
Suddenly, the Lakers/Celtics rivalry, which had lost a lot of juice over the years as both teams were bad and then just the Lakers were bad, is interesting again.
Now, for the rivalry to truly ignite once again, a Finals matchup would have to occur. True rivalries are born in the playoffs. It’s why Lakers-Celtics carries so much weight. The two organizations battled for NBA supremacy throughout the ’60s, ’80s, and late ’00s. The Golden State Warriors may have something to say about the NBA getting their dream Finals.
But the regular season games certainly carry more weight. Lakers-Celtics games always perform well on which network carries them, but now the star power on the court matches up. The Lakers have the best player in the game. The Celtics have arguably the best player in the conference. There’s history not only between the two franchise, but the two marquee players as well.
The rivalry is not only back on the court, it’s back off the court. Magic Johnson took over the Lakers and promises big moves. He delivered. Danny Ainge has built Boston into the best team in the East. Those two players were staples of the ’80s Finals battles. Now, they’re battling on the phone lines.
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The Lakers and Celtics don’t need to be relevant for the league to succeed. The NBA has grown tremendously in the past five years with the Lakers being at the bottom of the league and the Celtics being afterthoughts until two seasons ago. But, admit it. You’re just a little excited about the two major markets going head-to-head in meaningful games again.
Just stay off Twitter on those nights.