2010 NBA Finals: When The Celtics and Lakers Play, The NBA Wins
The Celtics and Lakers are set to open another chapter of their historic rivalry, and basketball fans everywhere are ecstatic.
This match-up has transcended generations. It started six decades ago, and it symbolizes tradition and longevity in sports.
The Boston vs. Los Angeles match-up in the Finals is one that most basketball fans will be content with (outside of Suns and Magic fans). I am not a Celtics or Lakers fan, but I cannot wait for Thursday to get here.
No one is more anxious for the Finals to begin than Commissioner David Stern.
It doesn’t matter which team is victorious, whenever one of these storied franchises makes it to the Finals, it is considered a banner year for the NBA.
I am not implying that the commissioner would have been disappointed to see the Suns or Magic advance to the Finals. Stern would obviously receive any NBA championship team with open arms, and if the Suns or Magic had made it to the Finals, I am sure he would have been just as thrilled.
However, the Celtics vs. Lakers always makes for compelling TV, so Stern should be more excited about the Finals than anybody.
The most intriguing part of this Finals showdown is not the match-ups on the court, but the history between these two teams.
The NBA has been crowning champions since the 1946-47 season.
There have been 63 NBA championships played since 1947, and out of all those titles, 32 of the champions have donned either the Celtics green and white, or the Lakers purple and gold.
Boston has won 17 titles, while the Lakers have won the title 15 times.
The Lakers (located in Minneapolis at the time) won five of the first ten NBA titles from the 1946-47 season to the 1955-56 season.
Boston won its first championship in 1957 and two seasons later, the first installment of the Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry occurred.
The 1959 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Celtics was the first time the two teams met.
That is the only time either team has swept its opponent in the Finals.
The Celtics won the title in four games, and they went on to win an NBA-record eight consecutive titles from 1959-1966.
The NBA did not award the Finals Most Valuable Player award during the Celtics unparalleled run, but an average NBA fan should know that Bill Russell had something to do with the Celtics winning eight rings in a row.
The NBA didn’t name a Finals MVP until the 1969 season.
Can you guess what teams played in that series? Yep, it was the Lakers and Celtics.
Lakers guard Jerry West walked away with the MVP award, but the Celtics took the title in the seventh game and Bill Russell earned his 11th ring.
When Russell retired after the 1969 season, it marked the end of an era.
Russell won 11 titles in 13 seasons, and seven of them were at the Lakers’ expense.
The Lakers and Celtics have won 16 titles combined since Russell’s retirement (Lakers: 10 titles, Celtics: six titles).
The rivalry was renewed during the 1984 Finals.
The Celtics took the title in seven games and Larry Bird won his first Finals MVP award. If it sounds like the Celtics have dominated this head-to-head match-up in the Finals, it is because they have.
The 2010 NBA Finals will be the 12th time that the Celtics and Lakers have squared off to determine the champion.
The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in the Finals, but the Lakers are the defending champions this season, so they are still the favorites.
There is no question that these are two of the elite franchises in the league, the NBA was basically built around these two teams.
It seems as though every time the league needs a spark of excitement, the Celtics and/or Lakers come through.
The 2010 NBA Finals will not be any different.
The Celtics vs. Lakers means something to all basketball fans, from all generations. What this match-up means to my peers is different than what it means to my parents, and even grandparents for that matter.
This rivalry brings people together from all generations, and anyone who has seen these two teams in the Finals will appreciate what is going to happen when the series begins Thursday.
Everyone has Celtics and Lakers memories in the playoffs, and NBA fans can be assured that this year’s Finals will be laden with storylines and unforgettable moments.
The commissioner can rest peacefully knowing that the Finals will be nothing short of amazing, regardless of who comes out on top.
