Lakers vs Celtics: Which is the greatest NBA franchise?

Lakers vs Celtics: Which is the greatest NBA franchise?

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:06 PM

Since the NBA's inception, there has been a rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Therefore, a fantastic place to start in most discussions about the association's past would be the heated rivalry between the two teams that are currently the most decorated in the league. Let us find out who the greatest NBA franchise is between the Lakers and Celtics.

Lakers vs Celtics finals
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers against Al Horford #42 and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Photo: Keith Birmingham
Source: Getty Images

The two greatest NBA teams are the Los Angeles' and the Bostons. Nobody can contest that. This explains why the teams' discussions are so common. The combined accomplishments of the two clubs—33 championships and 52 appearances in the finals—far exceed those of the competition.

Lakers vs Celtics all time

No NBA franchise has ever produced more historical news than the rivals in terms of raw volume. These teams simply have a different construction. They also happen to be the source of the sport's oldest rivalry.

What are the Lakers vs Celtics stats?

Lakers vs Celtics stats
Boston Celtics Paul Pierce (C) drives past LA Lakers Pau Gasol (R) during Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles, California, on June 3, 2010. Photo: Robyn Beck
Source: Getty Images

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The NBA's two teams with the most titles are the two teams. No other league team has won more than six championships, with the Celts having won 17 and the LA having won 14.

The LAs haven't won all of their championships in Los Angeles, though, so that must be taken into account. If you think about it, LAs have only won 11 championships—far fewer than its East Coast rivals, who have won five of their 16 titles in Minneapolis.

They have one more championship than Boston, but they have made 10 more trips to the finals. There are presently 36 members of the C's in the Hall of Fame. The LAs have 23.

If you only consider banners, the Celts would be in the lead, but you also have to consider how many times the LAs have advanced to the championship, especially recently. The LAs' historical stats are ludicrous, in actuality.

Furthermore, unlike the Celtics, who had a terrible run in the 1990s and the early 2000s, Los Angeles has never truly seen a protracted downturn in fortunes, with the exception of the six-season period between 2014 and 2019. The franchise's troubles have been put to an end when Boston acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the summer of 2007. Since then, the C's have been very successful, but we cannot overlook the reality that they were in terrible shape for a decade and a half.

Lakers vs Celtics finals

Lakers vs Celtics finals
Boston Celtics player Rajon Rondo shoots for a goal as LA Lakers guard Derek Fisher (R) looks at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 3, 2010. Photo: MARK RALSTON
Source: Getty Images

What were the scores in Lakers vs Celtics? The Western Conference champion Los Angeles' defeated the Eastern Conference champion Bostons' in this best-of-seven playoff series, 4-3, to capture the NBA title for the second year in a row.

Lakers vs Celtics best players

Consider all the outstanding players who have worn both teams' uniforms and entered the building. Richard Russell Louie Bird. Wizard Johnson Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem Garnett. Kevin Bryant Peter Pierce John Worthy Chamberlain, Wilt. Havlicek, John. 'Shaq' O'Neal. Patrick McHale. LeBron James now Jayson Tatum may potentially merit mention in the future.

Some of the finest players in the history of the sport are on the two teams' centres, including what many consider to be the top four centres. Bill Russell could be the greatest defensive centre of all time, while Kareem, Wilt, and Shaq are arguably the top three offensive centres of all time.

They were all outstanding defenders and rebounders in their own right. The Los Angeles' all-time team's centre position might be their strongest. Kareem's sky hook would be the team's most unstoppable and accurate shot in the history of the game.

While choosing who gets to play could be the hardest choice for the coaches, LA could deploy two of their centres in a twin-towers combination with one sliding to the power forward position. Kareem was a capable player at all four positions and would be a formidable teammate if combined with Wilt or Shaq.

The most powerful force would be Shaq at his absolute best. As Russell, the best defender for the Celtics would concede four inches and 100 pounds, there would be no one in Boston who could effectively stop him in a one-on-one situation. Furthermore, if Boston double-teamed Shaq, other players would be in a prime shooting position.

Despite their awful free throw shooting, Shaq and Wilt were sure to get fouls from the Boston centres. Additionally, if Russell and Parish commit fouls, the interior defence would suffer.

Lakers vs Celtics is an all-time championship

Lakers vs Celtics all-time champiuonship
Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce hoists the championship trophy with Kevin Garnett on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. Staff Photo: Matthew West.
Source: Getty Images

With 17 titles each, the two teams are tied for the most in the NBA (12 as the L.A. and five as the Minneapolis'. They are responsible for 34 of the 74 NBA championships, or 45 per cent.

The Golden State Warriors lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy as the NBA's 75th anniversary season comes to a thrilling conclusion. Following the two teams, the Warriors move into third place all-time with their fourth NBA Finals triumph in the last eight seasons.

Lakers vs Celtics rings

Lakers vs Celtics rings
Los Angeles Lakers holds up the Larry O'Brien trophy after beating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Christian Petersen
Source: Getty Images

The NBA's two teams with the most titles are the NBA rivals. No other club in the league has won more than six titles; the Bostons have won 17, and the Los Angeles has won 14.

lakers vs Celtics all-time record

As of 2018, the rivals have .590 and .596 all-time winning records, respectively. The following are their statistics.

Los Angeles Lakers

Boston Celtics

Total wins

164

206

LA Lakers

97

75

Boston Celtics

62

106

Neutral site

5

25

Regular season wins

133

163

LA Lakers

77

59

Boston Celtics

51

79

Neutral site

5

25

Playoff wins

31

43

LA Lakers

20

16

Boston Celtics

11

27

Lakers vs Celtics winners and whiners

Lakers vs Celtics winners and whiners
Max Christie #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers brings the ball up the court against LJ Figueroa #30 of the Charlotte Hornets on July 10, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Ethan Miller
Source: Getty Images

There were undoubtedly some surprises during the NBA Draft, which is now done. With their lone pick, the Celtics selected Alabama point guard J.D. Davison, who was ranked 53rd overall. Given his poor performance last season, Davison is a better long-term prospect despite being a superb athlete. A tough defender and good passer, which is currently a characteristic of Boston.

LA managed to get an early second-round pick. Given that there were more NBA-ready players available, Max Christie was a somewhat surprising selection. Christie is a capable shooter who is still a few years away from reaching his full potential.

So, in Lakers vs Celtics, which NBA team is the best? There isn't really a right or wrong response here, but let's face it: Every supporter is going to answer with their team. Then there are those in between. Since the majority of other fanbases despise both Boston and LA, the votes will be distributed rather evenly.

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Boban Marjanovic is the current Dallas Mavericks center. Compared to the average guy, Boban's hands are three inches longer than the average male's. As you may guess, Boban is the tallest player on the roster and has the biggest hand size in the NBA ever.

Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.