‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: C's-Lakers rivalry reaches its peak
There was no shortage of bad blood between the 1980s Celtics and Lakers. Here's more on key storylines from Episode 5 of Max's 'Celtics City' docuseries.
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‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: C's-Lakers rivalry reaches its peak originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers play in opposite conferences on opposite sides of the country. So, why is Celtics-Lakers considered one of the best rivalries in sports?
Episode 5 of Max’s “Celtics City” docuseries provides plenty of evidence.
Titled, “F**k the Celtics,” this episode documents of the height of the C’s-Lakers rivalry during the 1980s, when both teams were vying for NBA supremacy. The two teams combined to win eight championships during that 10-year span (Boston in 1981, 1984 and 1986; Los Angeles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988), with only the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1989 Detroit Pistons breaking up the back-and-forth.
The Celtics and Lakers went head-to-head in the NBA Finals three times during the decade, with the C’s winning in 1984 and the Lakers prevailing in 1985 and 1987.
More Celtics City ‘Beyond the Episode’
- Episode 1: “Founding Fathers”
- Episode 2: “No Final Victories”
- Episode 3: “All Swept Up”
- Episode 4: “Great Hope. Period.”
While Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were the stars of the rivalry, the competitive fire between Boston and Los Angeles went well beyond the former college nemeses.
“I thought the star of this episode in a lot of ways was (Lakers forward James) Worthy. ‘F— the Celtics,’ he’s the one who said that,” longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan said on NBC Sports Boston’s Keys to the City show recapping Episode 5, as seen in the video player above.
“His perspective is so interesting, because we get so caught up in Magic and Larry, and you know, there were a lot of other big players.”
“I liked the tension that you could see in this episode between the Celtics and Lakers, which we know existed, because we covered them — we saw it with our own two eyes,” MacMullan added.
“Watching them reflect back on the animosity — it was very real.”
For more on the 1980s Celtics and their rivalry with the Lakers, check out NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive footage and interviews below:
Relive Johnny Most’s call of Gerald Henderson’s steal at the end of regulation in Game 2 of the 1984 NBA Finals. Henderson’s heroics helped force overtime, where the Celtics emerged with a 124-121 win.
Cedric Maxwell reflects on his famous, “Get on my back, boys!” quote before Game 7 of the 1984 Finals. Maxwell scored 24 points to lead the Celtics to victory and earned NBA Finals MVP honors.
From NBC Sports Boston’s documentary “The ’86 Celtics,” we go behind why the Celtics traded Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell for oft-injured big man Bill Walton prior to the 1985-86 season.
We went deep into the archives for this one: An original rap song celebrating the 1986 NBA champion Celtics, featuring lyrics about key players on the roster.
