The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are one of the best rivalries in all of sports.
Before Monday, they were each tied with 17 championships. That changed after the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Lakers great Magic Johnson acknowledged the victory but struggled to come to terms with the Celtics having more titles.
“I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now,” Johnson posted on X, formerly Twitter.
I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now 🙄
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2024
The Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum’s 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown, who finished 21 points, was named Finals MVP.
“It could have gone to anybody. It could have gone to Jayson,” Brown said. “Jayson, like I can’t talk enough about his selflessness. You know, I can’t talk enough about his attitude. It’s just how he approached not just this series or the Finals but just the playoffs in general. And we did it together as a team, and that was the most important thing.”
The Celtics flew immediately to Miami after the game to celebrate. They then return home to Boston for the championship parade Friday.
“It’s a surreal feeling. Still has not really kicked in yet,” Tatum said. “Just trying, I guess, to enjoy the moment. I kept saying, ‘Wow.’ These last seven years have been a roller coaster, up and down. I had to listen to all the [crap] that people said about me, and tonight, it was worth it.”
