10 Best moments in the Lakers-Celtics rivalry

In recent times, one of the greatest NBA rivalries of all time has been accidentally reignited. The Boston Celtics have been on the road to one of the greatest revamps of all time and the Lakers have signed one of the biggest names in the basketball world today.

All of this was fueled by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had to let go of their star player of the last few seasons, after seeing four consecutive NBA finals. It might be surreal, but this year fans are looking forward to a Celtics-Lakers match-up at the finals court once again. It may not be just as good as Kobe and LeBron on the same court, but Irving and LeBron will be great without a doubt.

The rivalry is not expected to be just as intense as it was in the 80s or the small restart it had gotten close to 2010, but seeing the two teams on their roads back to greatness will be a treat for viewers everywhere. Here is to looking back at some of the best moments between these two legendary teams.

#10 Kevin McHale's hard foul, 1984 NBAFinals Game 4

One of the most famous incidents of all-time, Kevin McHale collaring Kurt Rambis really changed that day's game.

All this hoopla was caused by James Worthy who passed to Kurt Rambis while the Lakers were on a break. This led to a prompt body-slam to stop the ongoing layup. However, as Rambis got up, ready for a fight, he was shoved to the ground by some quick thinking from his teammate James Worthy. Kevin McHale hadn't been known as a dirty or rough player, but this was the result of the Celtics being down 76-70.

The thing is, if this kind of an incident had happened in the 2010s, McHale's move would have had him suspended from the game, at least for a good couple of games alongside nasty remarks on social media and maybe even a hefty fine.

#9 Kevin Garnett: "Anything is possible"

Probably the most memorable words of a post-finals interview ever, Kavin Garnett's, "Anything is possible" lives on even today. This was Garnett's only final, but the six-game victory in 2008 proved vital in forming the big three that would soon defeat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

This moment that was iconic to fans, however, seemed to some as a messed up promotion for Adidas which would say "Impossible is nothing".

These claims were obviously later denied by the company. The 20+ year wait for a new title had really hit these new trade-ins and the Celtics roster made that clear as day.

#8 2008: The Celtics' Game 4 Comeback

Lot more than just a winning play, the on-goings of this game changed the season for the Celtics. These series of plays changed the 35-14 lead for the Lakers into a 97-91 win for the Celtics in the fourth quarter. This pushed what was believed to be a guaranteed 2-2 series to 3-1 in favour of the Celtics, the largest NBA Finals comeback since 1971.

The second half that tore the Lakers down was punctuated by memorable pays that showcased the greatness of the "Big 3" of the team. The star in my opinion for that game was Ray Allen, whose drive and layup on Sasha Vujacic really sealed the game.

#7 2010 Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant

Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan are objectively considered some of the best players to ever play in the NBA, but in my opinion, the best Laker of the lot is Kobe Bryant. He carried the Lakers as no other man had before.

This shift from these two legends carrying the name of the NBA to Kobe happened when he won the Finals MVP in 2010. While Kobe's sub-par Game 7 performance may not hold some people to the same notion, the Lakers only got till Game 7 because of this individual. He was the highest scorer for both teams for 6 of the 7 games.

#6 1985: The Lakers' first Finals win against the Celtics

The Lakers First Win Against the Celtics

1985 was the year the late Dr. Buss could finally say that "this trophy removes the most odious sentence in the English language: It can never be said again that 'the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics.'"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led his team with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists to their first championship against the Celtics. This was the one that probably mattered most of the 5 titles that were won by the Lakers between 1980-1988.

#5 The Celtics honor the Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant Playing Against the Boston Celtics — Kobe Bryant playing against the Boston Celtics

Behind the strong rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics, there is also an immense amount of respect for one another. In 2015, when Kobe made his way to play in Boston one last time, the Celtics did not let him leave empty-handed.

The battles for the 2008 and 2010 titles were enough for them to want to honour his talents. Before his retirement at the end of the season, he was presented with a piece of the parquet of the floor of Boston Garden.

#4 Lakers "Celebration" Game 7, Finals 1969

Lakers owner, Jack Cooke anticipated a Game 7 win for his team in 1969 and had the stadium and the band prepared for this occasion. He had not only balloons in the rafters but lots of post-game celebrations pre-planned.

Unfortunately, the Lakers comeback from a slow first quarter start didn't play to their advantage. The Celtics were not only getting points off the bench, but the Lakers also had to play their bench carefully at the end due to fouls and injuries.

In a nail biting finish, the Lakers went from trailing 103-96 with five minutes remaining to leading 103-102 with two minutes to play. Finally, costly turnovers cost Lakers the game that ended at 108-106.

It was as Russel promised Jerry west, "Those fucking balloons are staying up there."

#3 2010: Ron Artest's title clinching shot

During the playoffs in 2010, with the timer at 1:01, Ron Artest was passed the ball by Kobe Bryant. Far from the line, he put up a huge three, giving the Lakers a six point lead and eventually the title.

The miracle was however, this mind-blowing performance under pressure from the same man who had missed a similar shot before. This further led to one of Bryant's sweetest and toughest wins.

#2 Sam Jones, Game 4 1969

Down 2-1 in the series, the Celtics trusted Sam Jones to bring them back. He delivered with one of the greatest buzzer-beaters of all time. Jones played a game that will only ever be replayed for those last few seconds.

To add to the suspense, the ball was given to Jones after a triple pick and even bounced a few times before it made its way in. This further added up in the long run as in 1969, the Celtics won the series in 7 games.

#1 Magic's baby sky hook

Magic's Clutch Baby Hook — Magic's clutch baby hook

The year was 1987, and the Lakers were up 2-1 in game 4. With 7 seconds left, Magic Johnson was guarded by Kevin McHale while he got the ball. The score was Celtics up, 106-104.

He pushed the ball over both McHale and Robert Parish with a baby sky hook and into the basket with two seconds to spare. Arguably one of the finest moments for the Lakers in the NBA finals, was also supported by Larry Bird missing a game winning shot and helping the Lakers past game four.

Agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

Edited by Abhinav Munshi