With a Game 1 victory over the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Celtics stand just three wins away from an 18th championship. That also means the Celtics are three wins away from passing their fiercest rival, the Lakers, for the most titles in league history.
Of course, the storied rivalry between Boston and Los Angeles dates well back into the early days of the NBA when many of the game’s greats played for the two franchises. However, time hasn’t exactly healed the friction between the two organizations and fanbases, as evidenced by recent comments made by former Celtics great Cedric Maxwell.