Golden State Warriors: Ranking the NBA’s greatest dynasties
By Tony Pesta
4. 1980s – Boston Celtics/Los Angeles Lakers
It’s impossible to mention one of these teams without talking about the other. Much like their superstar leaders, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers go hand-in-hand. This old-time rivalry reached it’s a peak in the 1980s when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson went toe-to-toe a total of three times.
Each squad was spectacular in their own right, but they also shared some similarities. For starters, ball movement and team effort were emphasized by both the Lakers and the Celtics. Magic Johnson proved to be one of the greatest passers of all-time with Bird as a close second.
Total Hall-of-Famers on each team during 1980s:
- Boston Celtics: 9
- Los Angeles Lakers: 6
Behind the dazzling offense of Johnson and some strong supporting players such as James Worthy, Byron Scott and the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers won five championships during this decade.
As for the Celtics, Bird’stalent as a scorer was complimented by the incredible footwork of Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. The Celtics also had a number of other Hall-of-Fame players suit up for them during this time such as Bill Walton.
Overall, the Lakers and Celtics won eight of the decades 10 championships and at least one of them made an NBA Finals appearance in every single season. This type of dominance and rivalry has never been replicated.