June 19th 2024.
It seems the basketball world is abuzz with some friendly rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Celtics now holding the record for the most championship banners in NBA history, legendary former Lakers executive and point guard Magic Johnson couldn't help but playfully express his discontent on Twitter. He jokingly wrote, "I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now," followed by an eye-roll emoji. It's no secret that the Lakers have had a bit of a rocky road since their 2020 Bubble championship, while the Celtics have been consistently making deep runs in the playoffs under the leadership of both Joe Mazzulla and Ime Udoka.
The Lakers have been the subject of ridicule since they fired Darvin Ham, who led them to an impressive playoff run during the 2022-2023 season. Some, like ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, have even suggested that their star player, LeBron James, may be partially to blame for undermining Ham's position within the organization. But regardless of who is at fault, it's clear that the Lakers have been in a state of disarray in recent years. In fact, a 2022 report from NBC Sports revealed that Los Angeles native Demar DeRozan turned down an offer from the Lakers during his free agency due to the perceived chaos within the organization. According to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, DeRozan's camp felt that the Lakers lacked direction and didn't have a clear plan for the future.
One can't help but wonder about the role that Johnson and other key figures in the Lakers organization played in the DeRozan situation. Owner Jeannie Buss, GM Rob Pelinka, Kurt Rambis, Linda Rambis, CEO Tim Harris, and former coach Phil Jackson were all involved in the discussions. It's also worth noting that the Lakers have shown little patience for head coaches since their 2020 championship. Before hiring Ham in 2022, they fired coach Frank Vogel just two years after he led them to their 17th title. Unfortunately, Ham's tenure was even shorter, lasting only two years.
Amid rumors that Ham was not well-liked among Lakers players, a report emerged that detailed his return as the lead assistant for Doc Rivers, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. It was revealed that Ham was highly respected by players in Milwaukee for his willingness to have open and honest conversations with them. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, it's possible that Anthony Davis may have played a significant role in Ham's firing, rather than James. Amick explained, "When they chose to fire Darvin Ham, I was told that one of the many, many considerations was that it was pretty evident that AD was not on board anymore with Darvin." The Lakers were likely cautious, as Davis has a history of requesting trades, which is how he ended up with the Lakers in the first place. The last thing they wanted was for him to become frustrated and potentially consider leaving the team.
As the Celtics celebrated their 122-84 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, their 18 championship banners proudly hung in their arena. It's safe to say that the friendly rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers will continue for years to come, with each team vying for the top spot in NBA history.
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