The Lakers have stood between the Celtics and a championship exactly twice in the last 34 years (assuming it doesn't happen this year). The Red Sox have to outplay the Yankees practically every year if they want a world series. The rivalry is as strong as can be for two teams in opposite conferences/leagues, but that's all. It isn't remotely comparable to Red Sox/Yankees, unless you're one of the people thinking that Lebron's greatest rival over the last 15 years was Kobe Bryant.If you are a Celtics fan and voted "Lakers" - please turn in your fan card and move on to someone else.
It is akin a Red Sox fan rooting for the Yankees in the WS.
Then as pointed out you have the 18 championship shenanigans instead of 13. Insufferable. I am guessing 75% of Laker fans can't describe the origin of their nickname.
I am honestly shocked this is so close.
Who would you rank as the Celtics biggest rival / enemy?The Lakers have stood between the Celtics and a championship exactly twice in the last 34 years (assuming it doesn't happen this year). The Red Sox have to outplay the Yankees practically every year if they want a world series. The rivalry is as strong as can be for two teams in opposite conferences/leagues, but that's all. It isn't remotely comparable to Red Sox/Yankees, unless you're one of the people thinking that Lebron's greatest rival over the last 15 years was Kobe Bryant.
Well because the Lakers never won until 1985. It wasn't rivalry, I guess. But mostly because if people writing thing, etc, count the Russell years they have to include Russell in the stats, discussions. ever notice how many stat memes or championship memes and articles etc arbitrarily eliminate Wilt and Bill? "Since 1980 only Michael Jordan has..."I'm not sure why people start counting in the Celts-Lakers rivalry from the mid-'80s. The Celts have faced the Lakers 12 times in the NBA Finals (once vs the Minn Lakers in 1959), and hold a 9-3 edge . FTR, the Yankees have faced the Dodgers 11 times in the World Series, with the MFY holding an 8-3 lead. However using the unusual '80s accounting convention, they've never met and don't have a rivalry.
Fuck the Lakers and the MFY.
Historically it's the lakers no question. In recent history, say for anyone under the age of 40? Probably Philly, whom they've met in the playoffs 21 times (more than any other playoff matchup in NBA history, not just for the Celtics), not to mention fighting for divisional dominance forever. It's always special when we play the Lakers in the playoffs (if for no other reason than it's the finals), but for the life of me, I can't prioritize rivalries in other conferences/leagues over teams in our own division that we fight with every year.Who would you rank as the Celtics biggest rival / enemy?
34 years is a nice way to exclude most of the 1980s.
There is a reason ‘Beat LA’ is a routine chant in Boston
I think that Philadelphia is the correct answer. For all the reasons you gave. And when the Celtics were at their best - the 1960s and 1980s, the 76ers were also great.Historically it's the lakers no question. In recent history, say for anyone under the age of 40? Probably Philly, whom they've met in the playoffs 21 times (more than any other playoff matchup in NBA history, not just for the Celtics), not to mention fighting for divisional dominance forever. It's always special when we play the Lakers in the playoffs (if for no other reason than it's the finals), but for the life of me, I can't prioritize rivalries in other conferences/leagues over teams in our own division that we fight with every year.
It's an interesting note that the Celtics' biggest rival in recent history is Lebron (by my count we've met him in the playoffs 7 times since 2008), and now he's a Laker.
You would have had LaMarcus Aldridge added to that list if not for the heart issues that ended his career.Just 4 years ago, the Nets were reeling, feeling the effects of their disastrous trade with Boston. They were 28-54. Meanwhile, the Celtics had Kyrie Irving, Tatum, Brown, Horford, and finished 55-27.
Meanwhile...
Kyrie Irving was averaging 24.4 points for 55-27 Boston,
DeAndre Jordan was averaging 12.0 points and 15.2 rebounds for the Clippers,
Kevin Durant was averaging 26.4 points for the world champ Warriors,
James Harden was averaging 30.4 points for 65-17 (and overall #1 seed) Houston, and
Blake Griffin was averaging 21.4 points for the Clippers and Pistons.
If you had told me then that four years from that point, all five of those players would be on the freaking Brooklyn Nets, I'd have said you were completely frigging insane.
But here we are.
This. Though I believe Kareem actually asked to go to NY but the Bucks decided they'd rather send him out of the conference instead.This is the type of silliness when people hope for the Yankees to get the wildcard because some other team maybe better in short series. Losing to Kyrie would stink, but it is nothing to the long term effects of the Lakers winning. The Lakes have had the super team thing going since the 60s when Wilt refused to go anywhere lese and then then Kareem pulled the same trick almost as soon as Wilt retired. Shaq, Howard, Ad have all pulled the same crap. Only Kobe's 5 year fantasy camp career end interrupted the constant flow of stars bailing out on their teams and going to the Lakers.
Ah you're right. Turns out he did want to go to NY but they didn't have the picks to make it happen and were also tied up in maneuvers to sign George McGinnis.Milwaukee was in the western conference at that time though.
https://theathletic.com/1793904/2020/12/10/kareem-abdul-jabbar-knicks/?article_source=search&search_query=jabbarThe Lakers agreed to let the Bucks pick for them and chose Dave Myers, a 6-foot-8 power forward from UCLA, with the No. 2 pick and Junior Bridgeman, a 6-5 wing, eighth overall. They added guard Brian Winters, a 23-year-old who became a two-time All-Star in Milwaukee, and Elmore Smith, a 26-year-old 7-footer who led the league in blocks the season prior. The Bucks also got $800,000.
“I never really thought they had a chance,” Albert said of the Knicks. “They didn’t have enough quality to be able to make the deal. It would have been ridiculous on Milwaukee’s part. It had been an older Knick team after they had won their second championship in ’72-’73. This was two years later and it was kind of getting away from them. I guess the Bucks had to settle for the Lakers deal.”
The machinations of the deal grew more blurry after the deal was finalized. The New York Times reported that the Knicks could have had Abdul-Jabbar if they had been willing to pay $4 million, without having to attach a single player.
“If it had involved money,” a Knicks spokesman told the New York Times, “we’d have been in better shape. But we didn’t have a 7‐foot center, or two young draft picks like Meyers and Bridgeman. We’re disappointed.”
The Times reported that the Knicks were unwilling to spend the money because they had just made a different splashy signing, agreeing to a contract with ABA star George McGinnis. New York reportedly gave him a six-year, $2.4 million deal to woo the forward away from the Pacers.
Funny you say that. I came around on Harden last year. I loved how he brought it at both ends against OKC, and it really kind of changed my opinion of him. Embiid taking over the title of biggest bullshit artist free throw creator probably helped too.After all these recent Kyrie episodes, I kind of forgot (there's the reffing/getting calls thing but other reasons that I now forgot) why I hated Harden all this much.
DJ looks like a very old 32 who isn’t interested in putting in the work to maintain his body. He’s looked awful defensively at times this year and after the Nets lost 3 straight a month ago he was removed from the rotation.......their next loss was G3 in Boston.What exactly is the deal with DeAndre Jordan? Injured (no mention of it anywhere) or just plain buried? You'd think he could be helping some good team.
He's been one of the worst players in the league for a good stretch. He's on the roster because he's friends with the stars.What exactly is the deal with DeAndre Jordan? Injured (no mention of it anywhere) or just plain buried? You'd think he could be helping some good team.
Credible or incredible?I’d say Sean Marks has done a credible job. I remember when we had GM’s like this.
Credible was used as (I thought) an obvious understatement. My comment remembering when the Celtics had this type of GM was serious.Credible or incredible?
Griffin and Jordan are cheap examples, obviously, they’re not good players anymore.Just 4 years ago, the Nets were reeling, feeling the effects of their disastrous trade with Boston. They were 28-54. Meanwhile, the Celtics had Kyrie Irving, Tatum, Brown, Horford, and finished 55-27.
Meanwhile...
Kyrie Irving was averaging 24.4 points for 55-27 Boston,
DeAndre Jordan was averaging 12.0 points and 15.2 rebounds for the Clippers,
Kevin Durant was averaging 26.4 points for the world champ Warriors,
James Harden was averaging 30.4 points for 65-17 (and overall #1 seed) Houston, and
Blake Griffin was averaging 21.4 points for the Clippers and Pistons.
If you had told me then that four years from that point, all five of those players would be on the freaking Brooklyn Nets, I'd have said you were completely frigging insane.
But here we are.
They also drafted/signed really well.Griffin and Jordan are cheap examples, obviously, they’re not good players anymore.
They were fortunate that Kyrie and Durant wanted to play in NY together, that wasn’t Marks’ doing. Does he get credit for having the cap space available to get it done? Sure, though who else was he gonna pay leading up to that offseason, and the strength of that FA class made conserving cap an obvious play if your team wasn’t a contender.
The Harden trade was his best move of the ones you listed in terms of Marks’ skills as a GM. They got a superstar player for well under a dollar on the dollar. Houston was backed into a corner, but good on Marks for taking advantage of it.
But I gotta say that I do not see machinations here that merit envy on the part of opposing fanbases who have the fortune of following playoff teams.
I agree with your point, but in fairness most of the modern numbers/formulas would seem to require data that simply wasn't tracked in the days of Russell/Wilt. On the broadcast the night Thompson went off with the offensive boards they kept saying the most in franchise history (in the playoffs?), but then kept adding the caveat that they didn't track blocks in Russell's day. They were manually adding the asterisk, which I thought was reasonable. (One of the other posters will correct me), but isn't 1980 a dividing line for a lot of BB stats - they simply don't have the data to go back further?Well because the Lakers never won until 1985. It wasn't rivalry, I guess. But mostly because if people writing thing, etc, count the Russell years they have to include Russell in the stats, discussions. ever notice how many stat memes or championship memes and articles etc arbitrarily eliminate Wilt and Bill? "Since 1980 only Michael Jordan has..."
This is fair, Harris in particular remains a good player for them and LeVert obviously was their outgoing centerpiece in the Harden deal. I think he did a good job accumulating assets and cap and had the good fortune of being able to cash some of them in without fearing that the players wouldn’t bolt. This is sort of the same deal with Pelinka (though Marks has more pelts on his wall in terms of savvy acquisitions I think).They also drafted/signed really well.
Got LeVert for Thad Young
Got Joe Harris for nothing
Got Dinwiddie for nothing
Moved Bojan for the Jarrett Allen pick right before he was gonna get paid.
The Nets did do a good job building that team, but they also immediately tore all of that down when Kyrie/Durant signed, starting with firing Atkinson and then slowly shipping off all of the pieces except Harris. Kyrie and Durant didn't come to Brooklyn because they thought the team was awesome and they loved the job the organization did, they came to Brooklyn because they wanted to play/live in New York and call the shots.They also drafted/signed really well.
Got LeVert for Thad Young
Got Joe Harris for nothing
Got Dinwiddie for nothing
Moved Bojan for the Jarrett Allen pick right before he was gonna get paid.
Oh no doubt that's true... but... the Knicks offered the same chance.. not being a clown show has it's benefits. And they got the pieces for the Harden trade which was key (and set up the trade for Shamet and Brown who are in their rotation).The Nets did do a good job building that team, but they also immediately tore all of that down when Kyrie/Durant signed, starting with firing Atkinson and then slowly shipping off all of the pieces except Harris. Kyrie and Durant didn't come to Brooklyn because they thought the team was awesome and they loved the job the organization did, they came to Brooklyn because they wanted to play/live in New York and call the shots.
I am referring more to bleacher report, etc. Companies that take Nike money and have younger viewers get more likes, better responses by finding ways to say MJ, Lebron, Kobe are the goats, or hyping current players.I agree with your point, but in fairness most of the modern numbers/formulas would seem to require data that simply wasn't tracked in the days of Russell/Wilt. On the broadcast the night Thompson went off with the offensive boards they kept saying the most in franchise history (in the playoffs?), but then kept adding the caveat that they didn't track blocks in Russell's day. They were manually adding the asterisk, which I thought was reasonable. (One of the other posters will correct me), but isn't 1980 a dividing line for a lot of BB stats - they simply don't have the data to go back further?
Understood, I agree.I am referring more to bleacher report, etc. Companies that take Nike money and have younger viewers get more likes, better responses by finding ways to say MJ, Lebron, Kobe are the goats, or hyping current players.
Understood, I agree.I am referring more to bleacher report, etc. Companies that take Nike money and have younger viewers get more likes, better responses by finding ways to say MJ, Lebron, Kobe are the goats, or hyping current players.
The Reffing/getting calls is worthy of a lot of hate thoughAfter all these recent Kyrie episodes, I kind of forgot (there's the reffing/getting calls thing but other reasons that I now forgot) why I hated Harden all this much.
That Houston valued so highly that they unloaded him for an expiring deal just to get out from under the contract.This is fair, Harris in particular remains a good player for them and LeVert obviously was their outgoing centerpiece in the Harden deal.
2/3, no? Unless you're Joe Harris' momHalf the Nets stars quit on their team to get there. Davis is the only dude who did that in LA. Advantage: Lakers.