Boston Celtics: the C’s 5 greatest villains from the 2010s

C’s villain you begrudgingly respect: Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers

The Boston Celtics – Los Angeles Lakers rivalry is different than the Boston Red Sox – New York Yankees rivalry.

The Yankees pretty much dominated the Red Sox for almost a century, and the Celtics beat the Lakers in the first eight Finals matchups between the two teams. Even if the other started to reverse the fortune of the rivalry like both the Red Sox and Lakers have done, it just seems like they’ll always be the team that has more hatred towards the other team in the rivalry than vice versa due to their past history.

Between the Cs having more total titles than the Lakers (17 vs 11 and, no, Minneapolis titles don’t count) and the overall winning record against them, the hate for a Boston sports fan against them likely isn’t as strong as it is for the Yankees.

There’s respect for the Lakers, which likely comes from the hate not being as strong as the likability of some of the franchise’s biggest stars such as Magic Johnson, who is so freaking charming, Shaquille O’Neal, who is absolutely hilarious, and Kobe Bryant, who had a determination and drive that was incredibly admirable even if it was coming at the expense of the Celtics.

The Big-3 Celtics beat Kobe’s Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals which was the franchise’s first title in 22 years. When the teams faced off in the 2010 Finals, the Lakers were the favorites, and the Cs had surprisingly made it after upsetting the higher-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic on their way to the championship round.

It was a bloody war of a seven-game series (this Finals doesn’t get the props it deserves as a great seven-game championship series because there were two others last decade in 2013 and 2016 which were better) where the Lakers came out on top and avenged their loss from two years before (they wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Kendrick Perkins getting hurt in game six).

The Boston Celtics had a 13 point lead in the third quarter of game seven, but the Lakers were able to come back. Kobe had a 10 point fourth quarter after struggling until that point, Pau Gasol dominated the glass (he wouldn’t have if Perkins was there), and Ron Artest hit a dagger three to ice the game.

It was a gut-wrenching loss, but one of those unique ones where while you’re angry and upset you look at the other team with a sense of admiration.

It’s a similar respect I’d imagine to what Johnny Utah had for Bodhi which led him to let Bodhi escape at the end of Point Break, even after all the crap Bodhi put him through. It’s a weird feeling because I don’t think a Spurs fan or a Warriors fan had that feeling after their Finals losses in 2013 and 2016, but this one just had it.

Anyways, the Celtics still would’ve won with Perk.