NBA Finals 2024 – Why Lakers legends are rooting for a Mavericks miracle against Boston

It was the day of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, and earlier than Mychal Thompson stated goodbye to his name-in visitor on his ESPN LA 710 radio present in Los Angeles, the previous Lakers ahead had a request for a particular supply.

“If you see Cedric Maxwell,” Thompson stated, “tell him I hate him.”

Maxwell, the previous Celtic and 1981 Finals MVP whose nickname is “Cornbread,” was completely satisfied to lean into the meat following the Celtics’ 107-89 Game 1 win later that night time.

“Well here’s a message I want you to deliver to Mychal,” Maxwell advised ESPN, breaking into a extensive smile as he took off his headphones after calling the sport on the Celtics’ radio broadcast inside the sector.

“Tell him: ‘F— you.'”

“And tell it to James Worthy, too.”

While the Mavericks’ probabilities stay slim — the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers are the one staff to return again from a 3-1 deficit to win the title — the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics seems to be thriving throughout these Finals.

It has been greater than a decade for the reason that two groups final met on this stage, with Kobe Bryant’s Lakers outlasting Kevin Garnett’s Celtics in seven video games in 2010 within the twelfth Finals assembly between the franchises. But there’s one thing further at stake as Boston battles with Dallas.

One extra win not solely will seize one other Larry O’Brien Trophy for the Celtics, however will probably be Boston’s 18th title, breaking a tie with the Lakers for most championships in league historical past.

It’s the explanation why Lakers present famous person LeBron James, when previewing the Finals with ESPN’s JJ Redick on the “Mind the Game” podcast stated, “I know Laker Nation is going for the Dallas Laker-Mavericks.”

And it is the explanation why Thompson and different former Lakers have been tuning into the Finals to root like hell for the Mavs.

“I don’t want to have to face Cedric Maxwell if Boston gets to 18 before us,” Thompson, who additionally calls Lakers video games on the radio, advised ESPN. “It will be insufferable for me to sit through that for three hours dealing with his ‘I told you so’s.’ I’m going to have to call in sick for the two Boston games next year if they hold on and win this series.

“So, come on Luka [Doncic], cease fouling out.”

Thompson, who played for L.A. from 1986-1991 and won two rings — including over Boston in 1987 — attended the “Showtime” Lakers’ reunion in Hawaii in September 2022 and said the group couldn’t help but talk about Boston while they reminisced.

“Those conversations at all times come again round, every time we Lakers get collectively, about these battles and the way historic they have been, how a lot they meant to us to, to beat them, and the way a lot it harm to lose to the Celtics,” Thompson said. “More than dropping to another staff, for certain.”

Lamar Odom was on the Lakers team that beat Boston in 2010, but he was also on the team that lost to the Celtics two years prior. And what happened after L.A. lost Game 6 by 39 points as the Celtics clinched the 2008 title still sticks with him.

“[Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown, as a skilled, as an ex-NBA participant, to see them type of undergo the method and make it to the Finals and get higher yearly as gamers, I’m completely satisfied for them as people,” Odom told ESPN. “But I’m a Laker at coronary heart and in Game 6 they beat us fairly dangerous.

“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.”

While Odom nonetheless attends a handful of Lakers video games every year in L.A., he could not assist however discover Paul Pierce, the 2008 Finals MVP, sitting courtside in Boston for Game 2 of this 12 months’s Finals.

“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,” Odom stated. “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.”

Metta Sandiford-Artest, who joined the Lakers as Ron Artest, later modified his identify to Metta World Peace and at present needs to easily be known as “Coach Metta” — not so subtly referring to the Lakers’ teaching emptiness — stated that he did not comprehend the magnitude of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry when he was in it.

His 3-pointer with one minute remaining in Game 7 in 2010, off a go from Bryant, gave L.A. a six-level lead and the respiratory room it wanted to carry on down the stretch.

“I didn’t even realize how big that series was. I was just more thinking about my first title,” Coach Metta advised ESPN. “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.”

Coach Metta, was joking after all. He’s glad to be reminded of his place within the rivalry.

“That’s why I think that I’m kind of etched in history here [in Los Angeles],” he stated. “Because it was against the Celtics.”

Boston’s championship run this June occurred to coincide with a significantly painful week for Laker alumni after Jerry West, one of the influential individuals in staff historical past, died on the age of 86 on Wednesday.

Longtime Lakers athletic coach Gary Vitti, who labored for the staff from 1984-2016, advised ESPN “everything is so raw with me right now” contemplating how L.A. distanced itself from West and different former franchise figures lately.

“The decisions that they’ve made, it makes it really hard to root for the Lakers. Not impossible. But it’s hard. Because you’re torn. Because there’s people that you love that were hurt,” Vitti stated.

“But it is impossible to root for the Celtics. … If you have any purple and gold in your blood running through your veins, it’d be literally impossible to ever root for the Celtics. And I’m sure they feel the same way about us.”

Vitti added: “I’m team Jerry West. And no matter how things ended up with Jerry and the Lakers, if he were still alive who would never want the Celtics to win another championship. And I feel the same way.”

While the Lakers’ season ended with a first-spherical exit against the Denver Nuggets in April regardless of Anthony Davis averaging 27.8 factors and 15.6 rebounds and James averaging 27.8 factors and eight.8 assists, hope springs everlasting.

“I think they’re going to figure it out. AD’s in his prime. That’s a really good situation. … I could see the Lakers winning the title next year,” Coach Metta stated. “LeBron is super hungry. I’m not betting against LeBron.”

Thompson hopes Coach Metta is true, or else he’ll should be scheduling sick days round Celtic video games for years to return.

“Boston’s built to repeat and to get more championships because Brown and Tatum are so young,” Thompson stated. “So the Lakers got to get back on board and be in contention next year to try to catch Boston next season, because Boston got a good chance to stretch it to 19.”