The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers is one of the best in professional sports and one of the few that has been able to stand the test of time. Although the rivalry wasn’t as heated at the beginning of Kobe Bryant’s career, it kicked into high gear once again during two of his final three NBA Finals appearances.
On Wednesday, Bryant played against the Celtics for the last time at TD Garden, and emotions were running high for the future Hall of Famer. Kobe talked about the playing in Boston a final time after the Lakers pulled out the win against the arch-rival Celtics on TWCSportsNet via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe on TWC: “It’s such a surreal experience, it’s been amazing to be able to play here & be able to have a rivalry w/ this franchise.”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 31, 2015
Bryant also talked about the loss to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals and how it changed his approach to the game, via Winters:
Kobe: "Losing in '08 changed how I approached the game, changed how I approached leadership, helped bring out the best version of myself."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 31, 2015
After the devastating loss to the Celtics in 2008, the Lakers bounced back with a vengeance the next two years. The Kobe-led Lakers won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 with Bryant and the franchise getting some revenge against Boston beating the Celtics in seven games.
As for Bryant’s final game in Boston, the veteran guard struggled to shoot the basketball going 5-for-18 from the floor for 15 points. Despite Kobe’s struggles, the team’s young players stepped it up for their leader with D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson all having solid offensive performances.
Clarkson led the way with a team-high 24 points followed by Lou Williams with 19. Randle and Russell combined for 31 points off the bench helping secure the eight-point win over the Celtics.