The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have one of the best rivalries in all of sports, dating back decades with numerous NBA Finals matchups.
Both teams went into last season tied with 17 championships, good for the most in the league. But unfortunately, the Lakers were defeated in the first round of the playoffs while the Celtics went on to win their 18th banner, recapturing the lead over L.A.
A big reason for that was the moves the Celtics made in the previous offseason, bringing in both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
The addition of Holiday, in particular, was a big one as he is one of the best defensive guards the league has ever seen and is OK taking fewer shots to compete for a ring.
Holiday grew up in the L.A. area, attending Campbell Hall for high school and UCLA for two years before being drafted into the NBA. Naturally, he grew up a big Lakers fan, which he admitted made it weird when he was traded to the Celtics, via Conor Ryan of Boston.com:
“I’m from L.A. I grew up a Lakers fan. So putting on the green was a bit weird for me, like on the first day,” Holiday said of first joining Boston. “And then once I kind of got used to the green — we win the championship. … Once I kind of just got acclimated to the city, and the fans — this [championship], it’s crazy. I feel like I keep on saying that, but there’s no word that can describe the feeling when you win that championship.”
Holiday was originally traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Portland Trail Blazers as a part of the Damian Lillard trade before eventually winding up in Boston.
It’s unfortunate that the Lakers were not able to find a way to acquire him as he would be a perfect fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Holiday and Davis are good friends after playing together for years in New Orleans.
After signing an extension in Boston though, Holiday will have a chance to compete for more rings for years to come. The Lakers and their fans will obviously be hoping that won’t happen, but dethroning the Celtics will not be easy considering they are bringing everyone back for the 2024-25 season.
Jeanie Buss: LeBron James’ contract is a bargain for Lakers
The Lakers are always gonna be an organization that not only chases stars, but then treats them right when they have one.
That is the case with LeBron James as he recently signed a new contract with the team, which Lakers owner Jeanie Buss called a bargain despite him being one of the highest-paid players in the league.
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