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Looking at the early Celtics-Lakers historyZach Becker Editor With the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers meeting tonight for the 11th time in the NBA Finals, I thought I'd share a term paper I wrote a few years back for an English class that discusses the early history of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry and the argument over which franchise is better. (Yes, I wrote a term paper about two pro sports franchises, as weird as that is...) Lakers versus Celtics Since the National Basketball Association’s founding in 1949 (NBA), rivalries existed between teams. Squaring off several times a year, teams developed a strong dislike for each other. In most places, people may show disdain for such hostility toward fellow man. But the NBA acts not as other places do. In fact, NBA fans not only enjoy good rivalries, they relish them. Although many rivalries came and went over the years, one rivalry stands out: the Lakers versus the Celtics. No other teams share such a rich history against each other as these two teams do. However, which team shows superiority over the other? People can make valid arguments for both sides of the debate. Looking at the storied histories of each team may shed some light on the matter. Early history The Boston Celtics franchise debuted as a member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) during the 1945-1946 season (“
The Minneapolis Lakers debuted in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1947-1948 season. George Mikan, one of basketball’s first stars, led that team to the NBL title. Mikan, a 6’10”, 245 pound giant with glasses- see picture at right (“George”)- brought a new style of play to the NBA- a very physical, methodical style (Minsky 15). The Lakers joined the BAA the following year and Mikan led his team to that league’s championship as well (“History”). The NBL and BAA merged before the 1949- 1950 season, forming the National Basketball Association (NBA). In addition, that year, the Celtics hired later-to-be legendary coach Red Auerbach (“
The Lakers, though, maintained dominance during this time. Mikan’s ability to control the game forced the league to make rule changes, including widening the lane (Bechtel). After winning the title in the NBA’s inaugural season, the Lakers lost the next year, but then came back and won three NBA titles in a row (“History”). During the early years of the NBA, the Lakers clearly dominated compared to the Celtics, but that trend soon ended. The Celtic Dynasty Before the 1954-1955 season began, George Mikan retired and with his retirement came the end of an era of Laker dominance. Mikan did attempt a comeback the next season, but his skills had diminished and he returned to retirement after only 37 games (Bechtel). Mikan took over as coach of the Lakers in 1957-1958, but the move proved to be a complete disaster. After going 9-30 to start the season, Mikan stepped down as Lakers coach, but the team still only finished 19-53 (“History”). Before the 1956-1957, the Celtics drafted a player that would lead them to glory for years to come: Bill Russell. Coach Red Auerbach saw something in Russell other teams did not, and worked to move up in the draft to get him. Russell, see picture at right (“Bill”), possessed a huge leaping ability. People previously played basketball largely as a non-leaping game. Russell almost single handedly developed the art of blocking shots by jumping high into the air. Russell also could control the defensive glass. Russell played well during his rookie season, but he did not really shine until the playoffs. That year, the Celtics progressed through the playoffs to the finals, when they played a classic seven game series versus the Hawks. In the seventh game, Russell led his team past the Hawks in double overtime. The next year, the Hawks defeated the Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals, but only after an ankle injury sidelined Russell for game five and left him hobbling during game six. The Celtics came back the next year and won the championship, beginning a record setting eight straight NBA titles. The Celtics would win 11 total NBA championships during Russell’s 13-year career (Minsky 29-31). Even though
During Baylor’s rookie season, the team surprised in the playoffs, and made it all the way to the NBA Finals. However, the Boston Celtics easily dispatched of the Lakers, sweeping them in four games. Bad coaching hurt the Lakers during the 1959-1960 and the team finished a pathetic 25-50, with Baylor’s continued individual success the season’s only strong point. Due to poor attendance and other financial concerns, the Lakers moved to
During the 1961-1962 season, the Lakers once again advanced to the Finals led by Baylor. In game five of the series, Baylor put in an amazing 61 points in the Laker victory. In game seven, with the game tied at 100, a last second Laker shot that would have given the Lakers the win rolled out and the Celtics won in overtime to win the championship. The Lakers met the Celtics once again in the Finals the following year, but the Lakers attempt to stop the Russell-led Celtics proved futile. After several disappointing seasons,
During the off-season before the 1968-1969 season, through a trade the Lakers acquired the highly dominant center Wilt Chamberlain (Bechtel). Chamberlain, see picture at left (“History”), truly showed himself as a scoring and rebounding machine, averaging 30.1 points per game and 22.9 rebounds per game for his career (“Wilt”). That year, the two titans, Chamberlain and Russell, clashed in the Finals. Dueling for their entire careers, Chamberlain averaged more points and rebounds than Russell in the match up, but Russell’s teams, especially in the playoffs, dominated (Minsky 30). Russell’s team won that match up once more, clinching the 1969 NBA title (“History”). Alissa Bauer, sports editor for the Interrobang student newspaper and NBA fan, thinks Wilt showed dominance over Russell. “Wilt was a more dominating force at center,” Bauer said. “Nobody could stop him (Bauer).” However, J.R. Emig, Interrobang sports writer and NBA fan, thinks things go the other way. “Bill Russell was the most dominant player ever to play the game,” Emig said. “Nobody could block a shot like Bill Russell (Emig).” Amazingly, the debate still goes on years after Russell and Chamberlain ended their playing careers. The Knicks defeated the Lakers for the 1971 NBA title. The Lakers made it back to the Finals and defeated the Knicks in five games to win the 1972 NBA title. Following that season, Elgin Baylor retired. Chamberlain retired after the 1972-1973 season (Bechtel). Bill Russell already retired the season before (“
Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics dominated the NBA for an entire era. However, the Lakers experienced considerable success as well. Bill Russell, though, proved too much for any team to handle. Russell, during his time, owned the NBA courts. Recent History Obviously, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry did not end in the 1970s. Most people, though, seem quite familiar with this more recent history. The Celtic-Lakers of the 1980s could fill an entire paper themselves, with the legendary match up of the Celtics’ Larry Bird and the Lakers’ Magic Johnson. The Debate So, which team wins in the battle of the ages? People make strong arguments for both sides. Celtics fans can point to the many legendary players who performed for them. Twenty-nine hall-of-famers hail from the Celtics. Among them include Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Pete Maravich, K.C. Jones, Tiny Archibald, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish (“Celtics”). Russell won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award an amazing five times. Bird won the award three times. Many people consider McHale the greatest power forward ever to play the game. The NBA selected thirteen Celtics as part of the 50 Greatest Players team in 1996. Celtics fans also possess a great history of winning, earning sixteen NBA Championships (“
Lakers fans also possess a great argument. Many hall-of-famers played for
People could argue the strength of both sides for hours, as each shows some good arguments. The Verdict This one seems too close to call. However, one thing seems certain: whenever the Celtics and Lakers meet, people should best prepare for a battle of epic proportions. Works Cited Bauer, Alissa. Personal Interview. 6 May 2004. Bechtel, Mark. “Center Stage: From their winning beginnings in
“Bill Russell.” 4 May 2004. www.iskon.hr/.../nba/page/ 2002/10/29/0847006.html “Bob Cousy.” Wide World of Sports. 1 May 2004. http://www.widewordofsports.com/Articles-169.htm “
“Celtics Legends.” NBA.com.
Emig, J.R. Personal Interview. 6 May 2004. “George Mikan.” 1 May 2004. www.playitusa.com/ historyc.php. “History of the Lakers.” NBA.com
“Jerry West.” ESPN.com. 4 May 2004. espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016601.html Lakerstats.
Minsky, Alan. Kings of the Court: Legends of the NBA.
“NBA History.” Basketball.com
http://www.basketball.com/nba/history.shtml
“Wilt Chamberlain.” NBA History. 5 May 2004. http://www.nba.com/history/players/chamberlain_summary.html |
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