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Boston Celtics: Bringing back the two best rivalries in the NBA

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - MAY 9: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics, center, talks with teammates Jaylen Brown #7 and Terry Rozier #12 during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 9, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the 76ers 114-112 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 9: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics, center, talks with teammates Jaylen Brown #7 and Terry Rozier #12 during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 9, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the 76ers 114-112 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics can help bring back the two best rivalries in the NBA with the Lakers and 76ers

Over the last generation, the NBA has lacked truly great and memorable rivalries. With LeBron James, it gets even weirder. If James had been on one team perhaps it would have been better, but that is not the case.

There were briefly great rivalries, with the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. They delivered great moments, but we have not seen a truly legendary rivalry revised since the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers with Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant.

Right now, the Warriors are going to make it difficult for any rivalry to feel legitimate, but we are getting a lot closer.

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Historically, it is hard to find any rivalry that is better than the Celtics and the Lakers, and the Celtics and the 76ers. They have been the most prominent teams for the majority of the NBA, and have more classic battles than you can count.

It has been a long time since these three teams were all relevant at the same time, and that is finally going to be the case again. The Warriors will make it quite difficult for the Celtics and Lakers to finally get back to their Finals battles.

Even so, the two will continually be compared, and you know the NBA is going to try and give them enough regular season meetings to make sure they can be on a national stage playing against each other.

The Celtics 76ers rivalry, on the other hand, can become one of the best in the NBA. They are in position to be the two best teams in the East for a long time, and there should be a lot of intense battles on the biggest stages.

The histories of these teams go way back, there may not be a significant generation that doesn’t have the Celtics or the Lakers there winning championships. The ’80s were a peak with Magic and Bird, but that still does not compare to how many times they faced off in the ’60s, with Russell and  West.

The 76ers were also right there most of the time. They have Dr. J battling Bird and Celtics lore would not be the same without Chamberlain, who felt the wrath of Russell’s dominance on both teams. Russell was able to culminate his career worn down and on his last legs, beating a Lakers team that just added Chamberlain to West and Baylor.

There are too many stories to remember with these three teams, and the NBA will be in a much better place if these rivalries can be relevant again.

The Lakers have work to do, because they have to get to the Finals for that rivalry to truly be brought back. The Celtics 76ers, however, could be in line to be the best rivalry in the NBA for a long time.

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It got an early start last season, and both of these team should be getting a lot better over the years. The 76ers have some catching up to do, but there is no doubt they are the closest to the Celtics right now, and they should be able to bring back the excitement to the East that James took with him by going West.

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