Who said rivalries are dead in the NBA? Boston Celtics fans have to be enjoying what's been going on with the Los Angeles Lakers as of late. The Celtics may not exactly be in a position to win another championship themselves in 2026, but that doesn't give them any less of a right to have some fun at their biggest rivals' expense.
It's not exactly a secret that there's some chaos going on in Laker land as of late. Sure, Los Angeles now employs Luka Doncic, but there's plenty of questions surrounding the roster outside of number 77. Namely, what's going to happen to LeBron James?
The 40-year old basketball legend has clearly seen better days. It's not exactly like LeBron can carry a team to the NBA Finals anymore, and he's not the caliber of player you can build your entire roster around anymore. The last days of his career are already here, now the question is just one of when exactly he'll decide to hang it up.
Celtics fans can enjoy watching the Lakers' madness unfold
Of course, LeBron could continue to spend millions of dollars on his body each offseason and play for several more years. Maybe not at that high of a level, but he could do it. But that doesn't seem to be the direction James wants to take. He's already accomplished his dream of playing alongside his son, and now he's firmly in the driver's seat as to how he wants to end his career.
That leaves the Lakers in a bit of a funny place. The former face of their franchise might now decide he wants to take his talents elsewhere, perhaps back to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, as he rides off into the sunset. But it feels like we're all being kept in the dark as to what LeBron's real intentions are right now. That's got to be frustrating for Lakers fans, and positively hilarious for Celtics fans.
Then there's the issue of LA's defense. I'm not sure that team, as currently constructed, is going to have the defensive firepower needed to hold up for a full playoff run in the Western Conference. Doncic, as great as he is, is a terrible defensive anchor for any team. The Lakers got dealt an incredible hand when Luka fell into their laps this past February, but it's unclear exactly what they're going to be able to do with it.
All this is no doubt putting die-hard Celtics fans in a very good mood. Boston may not be playing deep into May and June next spring, but they'll always have the Lakers' drama to look forward to watching.