The 2008 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics was the renewal of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. Jerry West and Bill Russell gave way to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who then passed the baton to Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce.
Game 1 of the series was an infamous one as Pierce famously left the game in a wheelchair, with many fearing the worst. Pierce would eventually return to action, however, sparking his team and the crowd as the Celtics would start the series with an emotional win.
Pierce’s wheelchair moment has gone down as a point of contention for Lakers fans ever since.