Along with other Lakers legends, 2x NBA champion Lamar Odom is rooting for the Mavericks to win this series and take down the Celtics in a historic comeback. During a recent chat with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he explained his desire to see the Celtics taken out in order to prevent his old rival Paul Pierce from feeling any sense of joy.
“[Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, I’m happy for them as individuals,” Odom told ESPN. “But I’m a Laker at heart and in Game 6 they beat us pretty bad. And that’s when their fans surrounded our bus and wouldn’t let us leave. Shook our bus. That’s when I kind of was on a ‘F— Boston’ vengeance… I know Paul Pierce is happy and it kind of makes me sick to see him gloat and be that happy because that team is about to win. They were the best team that year [in 2008]. I tip my hat to ’em, even this year, but it kind of makes me sick.”
The scene Odom is referring to here goes back to 2008, which is the last time the Celtics won the championship. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett clashed in a highly anticipated matchup against Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and veteran big man Lamar Odom. The series went six games, and the final one was a complete domination by the Celtics, who beat the Lakers by a whopping 39 points.
After the final buzzer, Celtics fans took it upon themselves to troll the Lakers team and rub their noses in the bitter defeat. They famously shook the team bus and made a complete ruckus while the Purple and Gold were trying to leave the arena to go home.
That moment always stuck with 44-year-old Lamar Odom and the other players, who made it their mission to enact vengeance. Fortunately for them, vengeance would come in the form of back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. That 2010 title was over that same Celtics team, who were sent home in seven games.
Metta Sandiford-Artest Says Lakers-Celtics Rivalry Is Real
While the dynamic between the Lakers and Celtics isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be, there’s still a case to be made that they are the two NBA teams with the biggest rivalry right now.
According to former Lakers swingman Metta Sandiford-Artest, once known as Metta World Peace, it was only after making a clutch shot against the Celtics in 2010 that he realized his powerful the rivalry really was.
“I didn’t even realize how big the rivalry was, honestly. Not until we won. And then everybody kept being like, ‘Oh wow! The big shot! The big shot!’ Even to this day — 14 years later, it’s like, this is getting annoying,” said Metta. “That’s why I think that I’m kind of etched in history here [in Los Angeles],” he said. “Because it was against the Celtics.”
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry dates back to the early days of the NBA. From Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, to Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce, both franchises have a long history of success, dominance, and star power over several generations. To this day, their hatred for each other runs deep.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it’s inevitable now that the Celtics will win their 18th championship and re-take third place as the winningest team in NBA history. There’s nothing the Lakers can do about it except focus on their own problems and prepare for a title run next season.
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