Since the dawn of the NBA, there have been several crazy rivalries. But none have reached the same levels as the one between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Celtics-Lakers rivalry has spanned ages and was at its peak during the 1980s. During the era of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Things would get so heated that fights would break out regularly. In fact, Hall of Famer Bill Walton remembers how a fight broke out in his first game against the Lakers. One that left his Celtics teammate K.C.Jones bleeding.
Bill Walton recalls a “bloody” fight at his first Lakers game with the Boston Celtics
In 1985, the Boston Celtics acquired Bill Walton to bolster their frontcourt. It was an epic move that helped propel the Celtics to a championship, as Walton backed up Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.
One of his first experiences as a member of Gang Green though was an intense one. The Big Red-Head got to experience firsthand what it was like to be a part of the infamous Lakers-Celtics rivalry. After all, as he recalled an intense fight broke out which resulted in K.C. Jones returns to the bench “bloodied and cut up”.
“My very first Lakers-Celtics game, it was an exhibition in 1985. (In) the very first one, on the opening tip a fight broke out. It lasted for 20 minutes, everybody was involved. K.C. Jones ultimately came back to the bench all bloodied and cut up and scratched up because Michael Cooper would never cut his fingernails. His clothes were all ragged and he looked at me with this gleam in his eye and he said, ‘I love this game.'”
It truly was a great time in the NBA. The two teams were unstoppable, and their rivalry made the league and basketball all the more interesting.
The Cs have the upper hand over the Lakers in their 74-year rivalry
The Boston Celtics had their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers back in 1948. It has been one heck of a ride since then. In 74 years, the Cs have defeated the Lakers more often than not, with an all-time record of 207 wins to 164 losses.
Their next meeting is on the 28th of January, 2023. Who will come out on top? Will it be the men in green and white or the men in purple and gold that secure victory?
