The greatest Lakers and Celtics of all-time

If only the Los Angeles Lakers could hold up their end of the bargain, one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports would once again be rekindled. While Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are leading the Boston Celtics reclamation project, Kobe Bryant and his emergent teammates are trudging along on the road to respectability in Los Angeles.

But, this blog post isn’t about the future, or even the present, it’s about the some of the greatest players ever to lace on a pair of sneakers, chuck basketballs at a rim 18 inches in diameter and pass through the NBA locker rooms in Boston and Los Angeles. From Wilt and West to Russell and Bird, some of the biggest, most recognizable names in NBA history wore either purple and gold or green and white. But, who were the best of the bunch?

Keep in mind that we’ve given extra weight to players that spent most, or all of their careers with their team. So, while Shaq is one of the greatest players of all-time, counting this current season he has spent just as much time playing for other franchises as he has for the Lakers. Same with players like Wilt Chamberlain, who only spent the last 5 years of his illustrious 14-year career in Los Angeles.

So, after much conjecture, we present our list of the top 10 Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics of all-time.

Top 10 Los Angeles Lakers of All-Time

1. Magic Johnson
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Jerry West
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Elgin Baylor
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. James Worthy
9. Gail Goodrich
10. George Mikan

Top 10 Boston Celtics of All-Time

1. Larry Bird
2. Bill Russell
3. John Havlicek
4. Dave Cowens
5. Bob Cousy
6. Kevin McHale
7. Robert Parish
8. Paul Pierce
9. Tom Heinsohn
10. Dennis Johnson

As you can see, while the Celtics 10 might have a bit more depth, the Lakers’ 10 would probably win out in any fictional head-to-head match-up given their advantages in height and athleticism.