Kevin Garnett has played for a few teams in his career, but his most memorable stint was undoubtedly with the Boston Celtics. During his time there, one of the most heated rivalries he participated in was with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cs’ clashes with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were the stuff of legend. However, in recent years, many have claimed that the historic rivalry between the two franchises is now dead. This is something that KG does not agree with. Taking to Instagram, he shared a skit explaining why the rivalry still lives on. This is just 13 years after he lost to the Black Mamba in the NBA Finals in 2010.
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The Big Ticket had the pleasure of playing in the TD Garden for six seasons. During that time, he alongside Paul Pierce helped return the Lakers-Celtics rivalry back to its original glory. With Kobe leading the Purple and Gold, Garnett always had his work cut out for him. As such, his battles with the Lakers have left their mark. So, for anyone to suggest to him that the rivalry is over is just ludicrous.
Kevin Garnett shares a story on Instagram claiming the Celtics-Lakers rivalry is not “dead”
In the skit Kevin Garnett shared, three men can be seen in a Boston-based deli. The deli owner, a Boston Celtics fan is approached by the other two men, one supporting the Celtics and the other the Lakers. This, as expected, annoyed the owner, who couldn’t stand to see a Lakers fan in his deli, so he started “busting his ba**s”.
This didn’t sit well with the Lakers fan who decides to remedy the situation by claiming that the rivalry is dead. Of course, this only turns the situation from bad to worse, as both the Celtics fans go off about how the rivalry will never die. A key message, that Garnett resonated with and hence chose to share on social media.
Claiming that it is “never dead”, it is understandable where KG is coming from. After all, he was part of the last Cs team to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Taking one-a-piece, The Big Ticket went up against a Kobe Bryant-led Lakers twice. The latest edition was in 2010, where as mentioned earlier, the Celtics lost. However, the one that Garnett fondly remembers, is likely the 2008 Finals, where he beat the Black Mamba and won his first and only championship ring.
“N he’s right…never dead!”
To be fair, KG and the actors in the skit are 100% right. The Lakers-Celtics rivalry is one of the greatest if not the greatest rivalries in sports history. Starting in the early 60s, the rivalry reached its highest point during the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird era. Even after that, it continued and stood the test of time. So much so, that tensions are still high whenever they face off against each other.
KG reveals that Kobe Bryant was overconfident heading into the 2008 NBA Finals
Kobe Bryant was known for being one of the most competitive players in NBA history. Known as the Black Mamba, he was deadly on the court, but never underestimated his opponents. However, that was not the case in the 2008 NBA Finals. According to Kevin Garnett, Bryant entered the series with an air of overconfidence.
He was already convinced that they were going to win the NBA Finals, and he let everyone know it, including KG. To the point, where he was talking to the Big Ticket, who had been in the league longer than him, like an older brother.
This did not sit well with Garnett, and as history shows, Kobe’s overconfidence was his undoing. He ended up losing the NBA Finals, a devastating blow that brought him back down to earth. Fortunately, it did him wonders, as he learned how to lead a team to the promised land, winning two championships back-to-back, with the last one against the Celtics itself.
