Lakers vs. Celtics: The key stats you need to know in history of NBA rivalry

As much as things change in the NBA, they also remain the same. Not all standout organizations of the past have retained their might. But two particular ones have. They also happen to be among the fiercest rivals in the world of sports: the Lakers and the Celtics.

Los Angeles and Boston are The Association’s two most successful franchises, combining to capture 35 of the NBA’s 79 titles. Unsurprisingly, they’ve housed a litany of the game’s greatest talents, too, including Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin McHale, Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce, among others. Contemporary talents like LeBron James have kept that legacy going as years have gone by, contributing to the rivalry’s rich tapestry with epic performances of their own.

But, who is better? Which team has the edge in head-to-head victories? NBA Finals wins? MVP winners? Hall of Famers? The Sporting News takes a look at the numbers behind basketball’s greatest rivalry, a matchup that continues to enchant NBA audiences 77 years after their first duel.

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History of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry

Stalwarts for time immemorial, the Lakers’ and Celtics’ legacies have intertwined for much of the past 80 years. The Lakers were the first to scale the NBA’s mountaintop, doing so in Minneapolis in 1950. They proceeded to string together three more titles in the next four seasons, establishing themselves as the league’s first true dynasty.

The Celtics, then led by Bob Cousy, responded with aplomb, capturing the NBA Finals hardware for themselves in 1957. The two sides would soon meet in the 1959 NBA Finals, with Boston prevailing via 4-0 sweep — the first in NBA Finals history.

That set the stage for seven decades of highlights, heartbreak and everything in between for the two jousting foes. Other icons were swept into the chaos — from Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic, neither Boston nor Los Angeles is too far from starlight. The 1960s and 1980s were largely defined by the two sides’ duels. The legacy lives on in the present day, too, however.

“One of the greatest rivalries in sports is Celtics-Lakers,” Boston star Jaylen Brown said in 2022. “From the history of the game, from the 1980s carrying on to now. So, to be able to … play against the Lakers in a competitive atmosphere … it’s definitely an honor.”

Lakers vs. Celtics head-to-head all-time record

The Lakers might be the glitzier of the two franchises. But it’s the Celtics who have the edge in head-to-head record, posting a 209-166 record against their cross-coast rivals.

Boston has won 55 percent of its regular season clashes with Los Angeles, a seemingly impressive total. It’s worth noting that there’s only one active franchise that the Celtics don’t have winning record against: the Spurs (46-58).

The Lakers have the fifth-best win rate against the C’s (among active franchises), only bested by San Antonio (54 percent), Milwaukee (48 percent), Dallas (47 percent) and Oklahoma City (46 percent).

The Celtics are slightly more effective against Los Angeles in postseason play (i.e., the NBA Finals), winning 58 percent of its playoff duels against the Lakers. Much of the damage came in the 1960s when Boston captured six NBA titles. All six came against Los Angeles, although three of those series went to seven games (1962, 1966, 1969).

No player played more regular-season rivalry games than Russell (110). No player scored more regular-season rivalry game points than Elgin Baylor (2.338). As for postseason matchups, Jerry West reigns supreme, tallying 1,254 points across 38 Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals fixtures, good for an average of 33 points per contest. Unfortunately for The Logo, none of those Finals runs went in his favor — he had to wait until 1972 to capture his first and only NBA title. And that one came against the Knicks.

Lakers vs. Celtics: NBA Finals head-to-head

The Celtics hold the slightest of advantages in NBA titles, capturing 18 NBA championships compared to the Lakers’ 17. Of those 18 victories, nine have come against Los Angeles, spanning from 1959 (a four-game sweep) to 2008 (a 4-2 barnburner).

The Lakers, meanwhile, outshined the Celtics on three occasions: in 1985 (via 4-2 series win), in 1987 (another 4-2 series victory) and 2010 (after a seven-game epic).

As previously mentioned, Boston has a 43-31 advantage across all postseason matchups. And with a 9-3 edge in title wins against one another, Los Angeles certainly needs a little more time to catch up to its vaunted adversaries.

How many times did Magic Johnson and Larry Bird meet in the NBA Finals?

The 1980s were the pinnacle of the Lakers-Celtics feud, with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird leading the way for the two sides. Johnson and Bird were diametrically opposed to one another, claiming vastly different backgrounds and personality types that melded well with their respective cities. Fueled by their own personal rivalry, Los Angeles and Boston locked horns three times in the NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning two (1985, 1987) and the Celtics claiming one (1984).

Their matchups were filled with vigor and memorable moments galore — Kevin McHale’s takedown on Kurt Rambis, Cedric Maxwell’s 24-point outburst in Game 7 of the 1985 Finals and Magic Johnson’s game-winning skyhook in Game 4 of the 1987 Finals, among others.

But when it came down to brass tax, it was that Showtime roster that was just a bit better than Boston.

Lakers vs. Celtics MVP winners

Both teams have had four different MVP award winners, though Boston’s players won a combined 10 times. Bill Russell earned the honor five times, and Larry Bird was named MVP three consecutive years in the 1980s.

The Lakers have had a pair of three-time winners in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal each won the award once.

Celtics

Lakers

Lakers vs. Celtics Hall of Fame members

All told, 64 different players who have sported Lakers purple-and-gold and Celtics green have earned enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Celtics

38 players who have donned the Celtics uniform have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Five — Clyde Lovellette, Bob McAdoo, Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal and Charlie Scott — have sported both jerseys.

The players in bold also played for the Lakers.

Lakers

31 different Lakers players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The players in bold also played for the Celtics.