Celtics-Lakers rivalry explained: History, iconic games and why it still hits

The Celtics and Lakers have a long history with one another. They sit atop the all-time list with the most NBA championships — Boston with 18 and Los Angeles with 17 — and several of those titles have come after a battle between the rivals in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics and Lakers are the gold standard of basketball. Several icons have worn either a Boston or Los Angeles uniform, and the matchups always bring plenty of excitement.

Here is everything you need to know about the feud between the Celtics and Lakers, from NBA Finals games to the players that helped shape the rivalry.

The rivalry timeline: Eras that shaped Celtics vs. Lakers

While the 1950s started the rivalry, it wasn’t until the next decade that it kicked into high gear.

The then-Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles and faced the Celtics in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s. Those Celtics teams, led by Bill Russell, defeated the Lakers in each matchup.

The rivalry was renewed in the 1980s when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson created a spike in the NBA’s popularity. The “Showtime” Lakers had Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish led Boston.

The rivalry cooled off in the 1990s when Michael Jordan’s Bulls enjoyed two separate three-peats. The Lakers then became a dynasty in the early 2000s with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

In 2008 and 2010, the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals with each franchise adding another ring. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen won the 2008 series, while Bryant and Pau Gasol got revenge in 2010.

The Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals, breaking a tie with the Lakers for their league-leading 18th championship.

Iconic Finals matchups and defining moments

The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals for the first time in 1959, when the Lakers were in Minneapolis. Boston prevailed, 4-0, marking the first sweep in NBA Finals history.

The Celtics and Lakers faced off in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, with the former taking down the latter each time. Russell ended his career as an 11-time NBA champion.

In 1969, Jerry West was named the first-ever Finals MVP, accepting the award after a 4-3 loss to the Celtics. He remains the only member of a losing team to earn the honor.

The Bird and Johnson-led Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals for the first time in 1984. The Celtics won the seven-game battle, 4-3, and Bird won his first Finals MVP award.

The Celtics lost against the Lakers in next year’s NBA Finals, and Los Angeles beat Boston again in 1987 with Johnson being named the Finals MVP for the third time in his career.

The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals in 2008 for another clash with the Lakers. They completed a wild comeback in Game 4 and blew out the Celtics in Game 6 to snap a long title drought.

The last Finals matchup, in 2010, saw the Lakers win a 16th championship.

Players who embodied the rivalry in Boston

Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were at the center of the rivalry when it first launched in the 1950s and 1960s. Johnson and Bird then took it to another level in the 1980s.

The Celtics and Lakers rekindled the rivalry in 2008 and 2010. Bryant had Gasol in his corner when facing Pierce, Garnett and Allen.

While another fight for the title is not expected to happen in 2026, these franchises could meet in the NBA Finals down the road. The Celtics have Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, while the Lakers have LeBron James and Luka Doncic.