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1970s
A dull decade for the rivalry
Boston Celtics and LA Lakers won NBA championships in the 1970s but not against each other. The LA Lakers won in 1972, which was Laker legend Jerry West’s only title, and the Celtics won in 1974 and 1976.
To many, this decade might seem like a dull one in terms of the LA Lakers - Boston Celtics rivalry, but it actually sowed the seeds for the rivalry to evolve in the years to come.
During the 1978-79 NCAA season, Magic Johnson led Michigan State to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, where they faced Indiana State University, which was led by Larry Bird.
In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, with Johnson voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Johnson would later go on to be drafted by the LA Lakers, and Bird by the Boston Celtics.
1980s
In this decade, the Boston Celtics - LA Lakers rivalry was re-ignited
With three NBA Finals match-ups in the 80s, the personal rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson gave the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers rivalry a new spark as both strived to outplay the other.
The Showtime Lakers struck the first blow by winning the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. The next year, behind the 'Big Three' of future Hall of Famers - Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish - the Celtics won the 1981 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets.
The 1984 Finals was a well-fought, entertaining and value-for-money series for NBA fans. Two games went into OT, and the series went into Game 7. The Boston Celtics, however, came away with a 111-102 victory to take the series, with Larry Bird being named the Finals MVP.
Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had endured a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. However, with the two future Hall of Famers, the league attracted a whole generation of new fans. The rivalry between Bird and Johnson, and that of the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers, contributed greatly to the success of the NBA during this decade.
1990s
Arguably the NBA's greatest player of all time emerged in this decade
The 90s decade was a dull one for both the franchises, and we know the reason for this – the emergence of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had a perfect NBA Finals record during this decade, winning all of their six finals series.
The 90s was a tragic decade of sorts for both the franchises. On November 7, 1991, Johnson announced that he had tested positive for HIV and would retire immediately. Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis died of a heart attack in 1993 when he was in his prime. In 1994, for the first time in the history of the NBA, both the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers missed the playoffs.
The arrival of Kobe Bryant, drafted from high school in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets and then traded away to the LA Lakers, kickstarted the rebuilding phase for the LA Lakers franchise. Later that year, Shaquille O’Neal was signed, and three years later, Phil Jackson was appointed as the Head Coach of the franchise.
