Lakers Versus the Celtics: 21 Years In Waiting

June 6th, 2008

The two most storied franchises in the NBA meet again to renew probably the greates rivalry in professional sports. It’s certainly one of the most prolific championship rivalry in modern times – even with the 21 year layoff.

Last night the Lakers and Celtics met in the championship for the the 11th time. No other team has even been there nearly that many times.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird

It was 1987, I was 9 living in Washington D.C. and school was out for the summer. I hadn’t taken to watching much sports yet; but I was often in the room while my dad was watching and had been picking up on things and had some familiarity with the biggest names and teams. Nothing particular to do on one early June night, I started paying attention to the championship basketball game that was on t.v. I was almost immediately captivated.

I don’t know if it’s just that everything is new, shinny, and exciting to a 9 year old; or if things were really just so much more exciting in the NBA back then; but the flashing bulbs, intensity of the play and roaring crowds drew me in before really knew how to follow the game.

Those teams really went at it back then. Everyone played hard and gritty, and stacked teams like having a Garnett, Pierce, and Allen were typical back then. There were 5 or 6 teams stacked with multiple all stars. The Lakers and the Celtics each had two league MVPs on their teams; and a combined 7 hall of famers to be

I remember the late Dennis Johnson taking a shot in the paint, going to the floor and put the shot up and in as he was nearly flat on his back. It was the first play of excitement for me, even though I was rooting for the Lakers. This series would be the start of my love affair with basketball.

I’ve waited 21 years for the re-match (thought that really was a re-match where the Lakers avenged their championship defeat to the Celtics the year before)

The Celteics Blog reported last week on the night the Celtics eliminate the Pistons in the Eastern Conference with the question…

How’s this for a coincidence:

The last time the Celtics earned a berth in the NBA Finals was exactly 21 years ago tonight.

The team they beat to get there? The Pistons.

The team they faced in the Finals? The Lakers.

May history continue to repeat itself, as Magic and the mighty Lakers took the title.

Last night the rivalry was renewed in Boston, where the Celtics got a 10 point when on an anemic forth quarter performance by a 4 point scoring Kobe, and shot missing offense all the way around.

Follow the history of this rivalry at Lakers Versus Celtics: A Not-So-Brief History

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  • D. Yobachi Boswell

  • Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.

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