As the Boston Celtics seem to be forever chasing elusive banner No. 18, the Los Angeles Lakers are having the time of their lives reveling in their arch rival’s latest postseason disappointment.
For the time being, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers remain tied at 17 league championships apiece.
Yes, five of the Lakers’ 17 NBA championships occurred when they played in Minneapolis. And yes, their most recent league championship occurred inside of the hokey Orlando bubble. However, the Lakers have won three league titles more recently than the Celtics, who lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. Boston has not won the Larry O’Brien since 2008.
Other teams may be experiencing great schadenfreude over the Celtics’ latest playoff failure, but no fanbase is doing so more shamelessly than the Lakers’. Los Angeles is absolutely loving this!
Los Angeles Lakers are loving the fact the Boston Celtics lost in the NBA Finals
Admittedly, the Celtics are way more likely to win the 2023 NBA Finals than the Lakers. Boston may not get back to the finals, but that has more to do with the other high-quality teams sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings than anything else. The Lakers were not even invited to take part in this past year’s play-in tournament. LeBron James is not getting any younger either.
The good news, if any, for the Lakers is the Warriors were nothing short of dog food two seasons ago. It may have had more to do with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson sustaining massive injuries, but Golden State was not invited to the Orlando bubble and had to settle for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, which they blew on James Wiseman. At least Andrew Wiggins worked out.
Ultimately, it is more likely than not the Lakers and the Celtics will remain tied at 17 league championships apiece after next year. Other teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Phoenix Suns or someone else entirely could put it all together to win the 2023 NBA Finals. Golden State may not repeat, but even that feels more likely than the Lakers or Celtics coming out on top next summer.
May the Lakers and Celtics root for each other’s saddest demise every season for the rest for time.