The fierce NBA rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will never die out , and LeBron James is here to make sure of it.
During NBA Media Day 2022, James was asked if he had a favorite opposing city to play in. Rather than saying Cleveland, Miami, or another city he has direct ties to, he put Boston at the top of his list.
While some could initially take that as James saying he loves the city of Boston, there are a few different reasons as to why that’s not the case. Just last summer, the 37-year-old ripped Celtics fans, calling them racist and (ironically) mentioning that he hates playing there.
Clearly, his opinion was not out of respect for the city, but rooted in how much he wants to win there. And in case you need a little refresher, the future Hall of Famer has played several spectacular games at TD Garden during the regular season and playoffs (Celtics fans look away).
Over the course of his 19-year career, James has averaged impressive per-game marks of 28.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists against the C’s. In those 56 games, he holds a winning record of 33-23 versus Boston.
However, during the time in which LeBron has been a Laker, he’s 4-3 against the Beantown franchise. And just last year, Los Angeles failed to make the playoffs while Boston advanced to the NBA Finals.
Coming into the 2022-23 NBA season, James will square off against the C’s once again. The Celtics will travel to L.A. on December 13th and the Lakers’ highly-anticipated visit to Boston falls on January 28th of next year.
Both teams have championship aspirations for the new season, and both franchises are tied at 17 championships apiece. Although there are plenty of outside factors as to why these foes might not meet in the playoffs, a Lakers-Celtics Finals is more probable in 2023 than in past years.
The younger Celtics undoubtedly have respect for James–and Jayson Tatum and LeBron certainly have praise for one another–yet that doesn’t mean the fabled rivalry is going anywhere. Both teams will play fearlessly when they meet one another, as they’re both working towards the same goal: to bring home Banner 18.
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