As long as there have been barstools, there have been men on those barstools arguing about sports. In this week’s Barstool Debate, Anthony Stalter and John Paulsen ask the question – which is the more storied franchise, the Lakers or the Celtics?
John: Those that know me know that I am no Laker lover, but it is my premise that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most successful franchise in the NBA. Counting its stint in Minneapolis, the franchise has 14 championships and 29 Finals appearances in 60 seasons. That’s an amazing stat – the Lakers have gone to Finals 48% of the time.
Anthony: Hold on a second, sports fan – what do you mean the Lakers are the most successful franchise in the NBA? By my count (and when I say that, I mean by Wikipedia’s count), the Celtics have hoisted 16 NBA Championships, which gives them two more than the Lakers’ 14. Plus, Boston won 11 titles in 13 years from 1957 to 1969, which is an incredible stat. An even better stat that relates more specifically to this debate is that the Celtics have absolutely owned the Lakers in head-to-head matchups, winning eight of the 10 times they faced L.A. in the NBA Finals.
John: True, true, the Celtics have owned the Lakers in their head-to-head meetings, but seven of those wins over the Lakers came in the ‘50s and early ‘60s when the league had a grand total of nine teams. That’s right, the Celtics typically just had to win one (sometimes two) playoff series and they were in the Finals. Then they were fortunate to have the league’s best player (Bill Russell), who towered over everyone else on the court. It’s not the Lakers fault that they happened to be the second-best team during Russell’s reign. Had the Celtics been able to get to the Finals during George Mikan’s run in Minneapolis, the series record would be a whole lot closer. Besides, what has Boston done lately? They haven’t won a title since 1986 and the Lakers have won five championships since the Celtics won their last. Plus, L.A. has won its last two Finals meetings with Boston. I’d say that the mantle of “success” is on the Lakers’ side.
Anthony: True, the Celtics haven’t done much lately. But look at this list of past greats the organization has turned out: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Paul Pierce, Sam Jones, Jo Jo White, Tommy Heinsohn, Tiny Archibald and of course, the original “Big Three” – Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. You can’t overlook how good the organization was for decades. Plus, can any area trump the Garden? Nowadays, the Lakers get just as much attention for what celebrity is courtside as they do for their play on the court. The Celtics organization and fan base has always been about basketball and not Hollywood!
John: Have you seen all the celebs sitting courtside in Boston these days? Sure, L.A. is more star-studded, but the Celtics can no longer talk about their blue-collar work ethic with the new arena and ticket prices the way they are. But since we’re talking about the most successful franchise, let me list a few Laker greats: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, James Worthy, Elgin Baylor, Byron Scott, George Mikan, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, and let’s not forget the “Big Two” – Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal – who won just as many titles together as Boston’s original “Big Three.” While it’s true that the Celtics have the head-to-head edge and two more titles, if it weren’t for one player – Bill Russell – the head-to-head numbers would be much different. The Lakers have won through so many different teams and eras (and have won lately, during the salary cap era) that they have to be considered the most successful NBA franchise of all-time. Let me ask you this – if the Lakers prevail this year, will you change your tune? That would make the total titles 16 to 15 (in favor of the C’s) but the Lakers would have won six titles since the Celtics’ won their last.
Anthony: What happened to you, JP? You’re such a Lakers lover now… Sure, I’ll change my tune if L.A. wins this year. That would still only give them three out of 11 head to head victories against the Celtics in the Finals, but your point about the Lakers being incredibly successful in the past decade would be even more validated.
John: Laker lover – ha! I just call them like I see them. The main advantage the C’s have is in the head-to-head matchup, and that’s because nobody could cover Bill Russell for a decade. You could make a strong argument for either franchise, but I think the Lakers have to get the nod due to their consistent success.
