Celtics-Lakers Rivalry
The greatest rivalry in NBA history, featuring 12 Finals meetings between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, with iconic players and unforgettable moments spanning decades.
The Celtics–Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams have met in the NBA Finals a record 12 times, with Boston winning 9 championships and Los Angeles winning 3. The rivalry peaked in the 1960s and 1980s, featuring legendary players such as Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jerry West.
Quick Facts
- Total finals meetings
- 12
- Key figure (boston)
- Bill Russell; Larry Bird
- Key figure (los angeles)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Magic Johnson
- First meeting
- 1959 NBA Finals
Lore & Background
The Celtics and Lakers first opposed each other in the NBA Finals in 1959, with Boston sweeping Los Angeles in four games. The rivalry intensified in the 1960s as the two teams met six times in the Finals, with the Celtics winning all six. The most famous moment of that era occurred in Game 7 of the 1962 Finals, when Frank Selvy missed a last-second shot that would have won the game, allowing the Celtics to escape with a 110–107 regulation win. The rivalry renewed in the 1980s, featuring Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, with the Celtics winning in 1984 and the Lakers in 1985, 1987, and 1988. The teams met again in the 2008 and 2010 Finals, with Boston winning in 2008 and Los Angeles in 2010.
Reader's Guide
The Celtics and Pistons have met in the playoffs multiple times: 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals (Celtics won 4–2), 1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Celtics won 4–2), 1987 Eastern Conference Finals (Celtics won 4–3), 1988 Eastern Conference Finals (Pistons won 4–2), 1989 First Round (Pistons won 3–0), 1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Pistons won 4–2), 2002 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Celtics won 4–1), and 2008 Eastern Conference Finals (Celtics won 4–2). Notable regular-season moments include a 21-point Celtics comeback in the 2023–24 season to extend Detroit's losing streak to 28 games, and a 2025 NBA Cup group stage game where the Celtics won 117–114, snapping the Pistons' 13-game winning streak.
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