With the recent championship win, the Boston Celtics have edged past their nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers, as the most successful NBA franchise ever. This added an exciting layer to their rivalry, giving Paul Pierce the chance of a lifetime to pull the LA side’s leg. ‘The Truth’ did precisely so, mocking the franchise for hanging the in-season tournament banner.
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Shortly after, the 46-year-old highlighted his comments publicly via an Instagram story. It contained a post capturing his negative two cents on the Lakers’ endeavors. Later, an NBA fan put Pierce’s antics into focus on X (formerly Twitter), garnering the attention of the community.
Paul Pierce disses the Lakers' In-Season trophy banner pic.twitter.com/q6uNhGmed1
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) June 22, 2024
His statement initially surfaced during the Celtics’ championship celebrations. Standing on the home court, Pierce pointed at the rafters while throwing shade at the NBA rivals. In front of a sea of reporters, the 2008 champion announced,
“If we win the in-season tournament, we’re not putting up a banner. Let the Lakers do that. Listen, we will make a carpet out of it and put it in the hallway or something. We’re not putting no play-in or NCAA tournament there.”
“If we win the in season tournament, we’re not putting up a banner. Let the Lakers do that. We can make it into a carpet and put it in the hallway or something.” – Paul Pierce pic.twitter.com/E14Dn2C6uH
— Katie Morrison-O'Day (@KatieMo61) June 21, 2024
This instance put into focus the severity of the rivalry between the two franchises. Consequently, a former player like Pierce remained actively involved in riling up the Lakers. As a result, his underhanded antics of mocking the LA franchise remained understandable.
The latest achievement of the Celtics has reignited this age-old NBA battle, paving the way for an exciting future.
A closer look at the consequential NBA rivalry
The Lakers emerged as a powerhouse in the league during the late 1940s and the 1950s. However, their one-sided dominance was met with resistance from the East when the Celtics arrived on the scene during the late 1950s. This planted the early seeds of their rivalry, shaping the destiny of the NBA.
1959 marked the first year when they collided in the NBA Finals. And ever since then, the Celtics have shown utter supremacy in this fixture. In their 12 meetings in the NBA Finals till now, the Eastern Conference giants have won the tie 9 times.
The Lakers have played in the most NBA Finals in the league’s history; they secured 17 championships, giving a neck-to-neck fight to the Celtics.
That’s why, the latest triumph of the East side carried such immense significance. It resulted in them winning their 18th title, overtaking the Lakers as the most virtuous team in the NBA. Pierce, thus, merely capitalized on this momentum to remind his rivals of the current pecking order.
This could, in the long run, enhance the intensity of their battles, setting into motion the rise of yet another historic tale.
