Celtics vs Lakers Rivalry is What the NBA is Missing

It was in the 1950's that the Celtics and Lakers rivalry took shape. The Celtics, who were founded in 1946, took the league by storm when they hired Arnold "Red" Auerbach to coach the team. The Celtics then began to build the team around Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and later K.C. Jones. The Celtics then won their first NBA Championship in 1957. The team would lose the following year in the NBA Finals, but won the following year. This started a string of eight consecutive NBA Championships, and the dynasty of the Celtics was born. Players like John Havlicek and Sam Jones would later play for the Celtics as they kept the dynasty going until 1969, when it ended temporarily.

During those eight years where the Celtics won all of those titles, the Lakers had met them six times in the NBA FInals. This began a heated and bitter rivalry between the two. At the time when they met in the NBA Finals in the late-1950's, the Lakers were playing in Minneapolis. The team then moved to Los Angeles in 1960. The Lakers had great teams in the 1950's that were led by Hall of Famers George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Verne Mikkelson. They were the league's first real dynasty as they won five championships in six years between 1949 and 1954. The Lakers then ran into the dynasty of the Celtics and would not win another title for 18 years.

The Lakers eventually rebuilded with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West leading the way. The rivalry then developed very into the premiere one in the league, and also sparked fan interest as well. Though the Celtics were the team that was alway on the winning end of things, this was the mark of big things to come in the NBA.

Both teams were forced to rebuild in the late-1960's into the 1970's with newer and younger talent. The Celtics rebuilt around new players Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and JoJo White. After the team came up short in 1972 and 1973 of winning the NBA Championship, they won it in 1974. They would win another in 1976 before having to rebuild once again after losing Havlicek to retirement following the 1977 season. But the franchise would have two of the first eight picks in the 1978 NBA Draft to use in trying to get on track again.

The Lakers in the meantime would win their first NBA Championship in Los Angeles in 1972, but would not gain another despite acquiring future Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975. The Lakers had some solid years in the 1970's, but would not win another title until they drafted a player in 1979 that turned their misfortunes around.

In a time where fan support and lackluster attendance were the talk of the league, it desperately needed a boost with an on the court rivalry. In 1978, the Boston Celtics drafted Indiana State forward Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick. Auerbach believed it was worth the risk even though Bird was returning to school for the following season. The Celtics retained the rights to Bird for one year which was a rule that later changed. The Lakers drafted Michigane State guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson with the first overall pick in 1979. It was during the 1979 NCAA National Final that saw Michigan State defeat Indiana State for the championship which then forever linked Magic Johnson and Larry Bird together at the next level.

The Lakers would win the NBA Championship in 1980 as Magic Johnson's impact on the team was immediate as the team failed to win one with Jabbar. Johnson brought excitement and fan support to the league. Larry Bird and Julius Erving were also very popular, and the league slowly began to gain attention and fan support. The following year, Larry Bird helped bring the Celtics back to prominence with another NBA Championship as they defeated the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Starting in 1979, at least either the Celtics or Lakers would play in the NBA Finals every year until 1990.

The Celtics and Lakers met in the 1984 NBA Finals with Boston on the winning end as they took the series in seven games. The following season, the Lakers finally defeated Boston in the NBA Finals for the first time. The NBA was flourishing with often filled arenas wherever and whenever these two teams met. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had brought the game back from down years where it had lost touch with fans. The two teams would meet again in 1987 as the Lakers would win their fourth title since Magic Johnson joined the team. The Celtics have still not gone back to the NBA Finals, while the Lakers would win their final championship with Johnson and Jabbar in 1988.

It was during the 1986 NBA Draft that brought an end to not only the Celtics dynasty, but the rivalry between the two. After acquiring the second overall pick from Seattle, the Celtics selected Len Bias with their selection. Bias was seen by many to help carry on the Celtics run at championships because of the team was beginning to age very quickly. However, less than two days after selecting Bias, he died of a cocaine overdose which eventually started the decline of the franchise.

The Lakers in the meantime would turn things around as they would win three NBA Championships in a row under head coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The league had carried on with the Celtics struggling on the court and the Lakers returning to glory with Michael Jordan leading the way throughout most of the 1990's.

The Celtics have only a division title in 2005 since those glory days in the 1980's. They have been one of the worst teams in the league this year, and are not in much of a position for quick turnaround. They have had many coaching changes since their glory years.

The Celtics and Lakers rivalry is what made fans pay attention. In the early years of both team's existence, they were the premiere teams in the league. In the 1980's their rivalry was rekindled to epic proportions as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's on-court feud helped to renew interest for fans. This rivalry is the epitome of what a great and classic rivalry is in sports. It is just too bad that the one thing the NBA needs a rivalry that has been sorely lacking for years. The league needs the Celtics and Lakers to both be good again at the same time for it to bring fans and respectibility to the game. Rivalries are what is keeping the league from bringing in more fans, and the renewed Celtics and Lakers rivalry would do just that.