Lakers and Celtics: The Mighty Have Fallen

Any NBA fan worth their salt knows that the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are the two most decorated teams in the history of the league. So it’s very understandable that these two teams have some of the most loyal and passionate fans ever. And it’s also understandable that there is bad blood between the fans and the players of both teams. Hatred is inevitable amongst teams (and by extension, their fans) competing for that coveted (albeit informal) “Greatest Franchise of All Time” title.

While other teams have made a name for themselves in recent memory, not one of them could come close to what the Lakers and Celtics have accomplished throughout the NBA’s 68 years of existence. Here is a quick recap of what the Purple and Gold and the Guys in Green have to boast:

Pretty impressive, huh? They’ve won almost half of all the championships in NBA history. But, oh, how the mighty have fallen. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 4 months, the Lakers and Celtics have been, for the most part of the 2013 – 2014 season, pretty terrible. There was a time when rookie Celtics coach Brad Stevens appeared to have defied expectations of being a lottery team that’s in rebuilding mode by scoring impressive wins early in the season. There was a time when a ragtag Laker team composed of role players surprised the league by hovering around .500 without Kobe Bryant. But it seems like those times have become distant memories for fans.

Fast forward to February. The Lakers have an 18-35 win-loss record (.340), tied for LAST place in the West with the Sacramento Kings. The Celtics have fared a bit better, having a 19-35 (.352) record, good for 12th place in the weak Eastern Conference. Of course, every team in the league usually undergo a rebuilding process once every decade or so. But it made me wonder. Has there ever been a time where both the Lakers and Celtics were THIS bad at the same time?  Check out their year by year record.

The last time the Lakers were so bad and missed and the Playoffs was in 2004-2005.  Before that, it was in 1993-1994. And even before that, it was in 1974-75 and 1975-76, missing the Playoffs  for two straight years. For the Celtics, the last time they missed the Playoffs was in 2006-2007 (they also failed to qualify in the post-season the previous year). Before those 2 years, the Celtics missed the playoffs for 6 straight years, starting from the 1995-96 season until the 2000-01 season. Only once prior to this season have these two teams shared a miserable year. It was in 1993-1994.

Lakers and Celtics fans are a proud bunch. You would be drunk with pride, too, if your team was a perennial powerhouse. But lo and behold. Only four years ago, we were trash talking each other about who will win the Finals *cough* Lakers in seven *cough*. Now, we’re content with making #TankRank jokes –  in reference to tanking (the horrible act of losing intentionally to achieve a higher chance of landing a top pick in next years Draft):

C’s are 4-1 in February. How

— Boston Celtics PH (@CelticsFansPH) February 11, 2014

@CelticsFansPH you’re losing the tank race bud

— Patrick Kennan (@xKENNANx) February 11, 2014

@xKENNANx ha! The joke’s on you! We’re gonna lose 2639401726373 straight! Ha!

— Boston Celtics PH (@CelticsFansPH) February 11, 2014

Of course, those are just jokes. The Lakers and Celtics aren’t tanking. Tanking is to lose on purpose. The Lakers and Celtics are losing because they suck. Their roster, though talented in their own ways, are incapable of winning enough games to make the playoffs. They may pull surprise wins now and then. They may give powerhouse teams a good fight (only to falter in the end). But sometimes good isn’t good enough and this is one of those times.

While those jokes about tanking are just that — jokes (so stop taking them seriously), the fact that the Lakers and Celtics are in a good position to draft top prospects in the 2014 Draft is all too real. And that, my friends, is enough reason for me to not fret too much. Yes, all this losing is painful to watch. But with those prospects waiting to be drafted, coupled with ample cap space (for the Lakers, at least; not so sure about the Celtics) to sign top free agents in 2014 and 2015, the future is bright.

*the 10^th jersey that was retired doesn’t have a number – instead, a microphone symbol is on it, to honor the late Chick Hearn, the Lakers’ long time play-by-play announcer; six players haven’t had their jerseys officially retired but were honored. They were Vern Mikkelsen, George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, John Kundla, Clyde Lovellette (who all played for the Minneapolis Lakers)

**Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have each been MVP’s thrice each

***Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson have been All-Star Game MVP’s multiple times

****Kobe Bryant and George Mikan have won the scoring title multiple times

*****Bill Russell and Larry Bird have been MVP’s multiple times

****** !!!!!!!!