Jayson Tatum is already steeped in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. And if he needed even a small reminder of the genuine bitterness that existed between these two teams, then he got it at the premiere of HBO's "Celtics City" docuseries in Boston last month.
In the opening scene of Episode 5, which centers on the clothesline-filled, mid-80s heyday of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, James Worthy appears on the screen and, still dripping with obvious disdain after four decades, snaps, “F--- Boston.”
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The rivalry will forever exist, particularly given the title counts of each team and the many times they’ve crossed paths in the quest to accumulate more Larry O’Brien trophies. But it would be fair to say that the bitterness that once existed has largely dissipated since the 2010 Finals.
For the past 15 years, these two teams really haven’t factored into each other’s quest to be the winningest franchise in NBA history.
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That could all change Saturday.
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After Thursday night’s win over the lowly Sixers -- another familiar foe that has likewise lost its rivalry sizzle -- Tatum was asked about Saturday’s visit from the Lakers.
"From my time in the league, I wouldn’t look at the Lakers as rivals,” Tatum told reporters, while acknowledging the history of the matchup.
To his point, when the Celtics visited Los Angeles just 43 days ago, the rivalry was basically on fumes. Boston limped in on the second night of a back-to-back while playing its third game in four nights to start a West Coast trip, and ate a 21-point defeat that the team basically shrugged off.
The schedule makers are not doing either team any favors Saturday night. Boston is yet again playing its third game in four nights -- though it was able to rest key players at various times this week -- while the Lakers are traveling cross-country Friday after an overtime win over the Knicks on Thursday night.
Still, Saturday feels different.
Prices to get into the Garden are already outrageous. There’s a genuine buzz around Celtics-Lakers for the first time in a long time. This feels like a real opportunity to inject some, ahem, magic back into the Celtics-Lakers rivalry on a national stage.
All it took was one of the worst trades in NBA history, with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison bafflingly gifting the Lakers an MVP-caliber player in Luka Doncic. Karma immediately decimated what remained of a Dallas team that Boston steamrolled in last year’s Finals.
Doncic’s arrival ensured the Lakers would be a contender for the foreseeable future. It also reinvigorated LeBron James and a Los Angeles team that didn’t have a real pathway to contention in a loaded Western Conference. Now the Lakers have surged to the second spot in the West, and it’s fair to wonder if their combination of star power and veteran experience could aid them in a title quest.
When the Celtics opened up this homestand, it felt like battles with Denver and Oklahoma City would carry the tag of “potential Finals preview." Suddenly, this Lakers game deserves the same.
No Celtics fan is going to enjoy seeing the Lakers succeed. But from a pure entertainment standpoint, it’s hard to argue that a Celtics-Lakers Finals wouldn’t be the most endearing of possible matchups.
Yes, the Thunder are going to be a roadblock for the foreseeable future. Yes, Denver has Nikola Jokic, and a Celtics-Nuggets matchup would pit the two most recent champs against each other.
But there’s just something different about Celtics-Lakers.
That this is all playing out as the "Celtics City" doc thrusts Celtics-Lakers back into a national spotlight only enhances our desire to see the rivalry resuscitated. The NBA is undeniably better when the Celtics and Lakers are both in the mix. Titles are just a little bit sweeter when they come at the expense of the other side.
Saturday should be fun. The Celtics are scheduled to wear their home whites; the Lakers will be wearing statement purple. Doncic is back in the Garden for the first time since the Celtics claimed Banner 18 in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals.
Is this just an appetizer for a June meal?
Finals showdown or not, it feels like Celtics vs. Lakers is finally back. Saturday can’t come fast enough.
