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When I look back at nearly five decades of existence, the 1980s hold a special place. First, the music. For my peers in their 40s, no decade produced a better mix of soul and sound than the 80s. Even my daughter, who is now 21, thinks so. Spandau Ballet, a-ha, Simply Red, Rick Astley, Dire Straits, ABC, Pet Shop Boys, Hall and Oates, Level 42.
I also remember the 80s for the Celtics and Lakers. Green against gold. Boston Garden vs. Forum. Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish against James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Coaches battle between the cerebral KC Jones and the skilled Pat Riley.
The Lakers won in 1980, 1982, 1985, and 1988. In between, the Celtics won in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Neither team won consecutively. When Magic Johnson won the MVP Finals plum the following year, Larry Bird would snatch the crown. It was a back and forth contest, give and take.
The Lakers-Celtics duel is one of the most celebrated in sport. The Celtics have the advantage with 17 NBA crowns and the Lakers have 16. The next two teams? The Bulls and Warriors have won just six each.
With rivalry, if you think their head-to-head score was close, it isn’t. They have met in the NBA Finals a dozen times and the Lakers have only won three. From their first meeting in 1959 to 1984, the Celtics triumphed eight times in a row. After that, LA won 3 of 4. In their last meeting in 2010, the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers beat Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett in Game 7.
All this, of course, is past. But the past has risen. Today, the Lakers are unstoppable. If you watched yesterday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, then you understand the word “Domination.” Or how about changing it to LA-Nation.
Rondo is risen. Throw the ball from behind the board and take the shot. He is 34 years old. How about LeBron James, 35, tossing the ball to Dwight Howard, 34, for an alley-oop dunk? Anthony Davis scores 37 and throws 10 rebounds.
The Lakers are a) too fast in transition; b) too strong defensively; c) have two of the best in the league (AD and LBJ); d) have Playoff Rondo; and e) have Howard, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, blocking shots and fouling Nikola Jokic; and Howard stood in the middle of the court as the Nuggets players huddled, teasing and mentally confusing them.
I would like to add a f) Full of confidence. The Lakers feel invincible. And thanks to the early homecoming of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Lakers are -176 favorites in betting to win the NBA crown (Miami is +400, Boston +550 and Denver +900).
Which brings me to Boston: I hope Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker come back and beat Miami.
Lakers vs. Celtics. In the NBA’s 74-year history, the top two winning teams have cornered 33 titles, or 45 percent of all victories.
My ’80s tune for your domain?
“Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode.
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