Luka Doncic Trade Should Jump-Start Next Iteration Of Celtics-Lakers Rivalry

The storied Celtics-Lakers rivalry is in good hands for at least another decade.

That was a key takeaway after a blockbuster trade resulted in Luka Doncic going from the Mavericks to the Lakers. Doncic, a First Team All-NBA selection each of the last five seasons, now will take center stage under much brighter lights in Hollywood.

He’ll be thrust into LA’s longstanding rivalry with Boston.

LeBron James gave it a much-needed shot of adrenaline when he departed the Eastern Conference and signed with the Lakers before the 2018 season. But the 40-year-old James, who reportedly found out about the trade at the same time as everyone else, won’t be around forever. A post-James rivalry pinning Anthony Davis against Jayson Tatum just wouldn’t have carried the same weight.

Doncic against Tatum is different. We could be talking another Larry Bird-Magic Johnson iteration, if it were to reach its full potential.

They’re not only two of the biggest superstars currently, but they’re both at the beginning of their respective primes. Doncic will turn 26 years old later this month. Tatum will be 27 in March. Tatum joined Doncic as a First Team All-NBA honoree each of the last three campaigns. They’re both routinely in the mix for NBA MVP.

And while Tatum’s all-around skill set differs from Doncic’s shot-making prowess, there’s no denying the two put on a show when they face off. They’re four head-to-head matchups during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns all were decided by five points or less. Tatum’s Celtics have the clear edge against Doncic’s teams, though, as the Celtics star is 10-6 overall against Doncic. That included a 4-1 postseason advantage after Jaylen Brown and Tatum helped the Green claim Banner 18 last summer.

Perhaps it won’t be long before we see the Celtics again face Doncic in the NBA Finals. Another Celtics-Lakers series for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which would mark the 13th time in history, would add the spice that’s been missing since LA beat Boston in the 2010 NBA Finals. The shoe was on the other foot two years prior, of course.

It feels like we have a better chance of that now than we did prior to LA’s trade for Doncic. We might even get it a few more times in the next decade.