Different world
Rivalry between C’s, Lakers has a new flavor
NBA. Red Auerbach may have had a hand in the Lakers’ hotel squabbles in Boston over the last week. After all, it’s been awhile since Red could have this much fun.
The only things familiar about the Lakers and Celtics since they last met in the NBA Finals are the uniforms, sans a couple eyesore alternate versions. Vanishing are the days when the parquet would transform into a boxing ring, and local fans would pull the fire alarms at the Lakers’ hotel.
Think the MVP chants at the Garden were gut wrenching last year? Imagine Kobe Bryant living like a king away from the court, too.
“Room service is cool,” Bryant said. “I got the nice apple pie with the ice cream on top, á la mode. I didn’t even ask for the ice cream, but they hooked me up. I’ve heard just horror stories from the past in the ’80s when the guys came here. It’s not like that. There’s a healthy competition, and they obviously want to win. The city wants to win, but it’s not like, ‘I hate your guts.’”
While that would make Auerbach turn over in his grave, the Celtics’ legend was certainly smiling as the Lakers were paraded from Providence to Boston last week due to a hotel shortage caused by college graduations. And again when Paul Pierce carried the C’s to a Game 1 victory.
But this rivalry has changed. In fact, these rosters have turned over so many times in the last 21 years that the bad blood dried up with hair bands. It’s not so much Celtics-Lakers in the classic sense, as it is two teams trying to win a title.
Pierce and Bryant haven’t met on this stage in four straight Junes to develop a genuine hatred for one another like the stars of past editions. Rather, they’ve developed a friendship while playing pick-up games over the summer. Such is the way the game has changed.
"I know in the summertime, no matter how we finished up, I geared everything to playing the Finals against the Lakers,” Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird said. “[Nowadays], you hear of guys going out and having dinner together before the games. That was never going happen, believe me, because we were too competitive.”
