Classic Rivalry in NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Celtics

Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, and are headed to the NBA finals. And so are Celtics who rallied from a 10-point deficit to close out its Eastern Conference finals series against the Detroit Pistons, with an 89-81 victory in Game 6. What does this mean? Well, we have Celtics-Lakers final once again.

The Lakers-Celtics rivalry is a rivalry between two of the most storied basketball franchises in NBA history. Let's take a look at the history of their memorable meetings in the NBA Championships finals.

(Video: One of the greatest rivalries in NBA history)

The Celtics and the Lakers have met a total of 10 times in the finals, with Boston winning the first eight match-ups, and Los Angeles the last two.

The first NBA Finals match-up between the two teams was in 1959... The Celtics swept the then Minneapolis Lakers for their first of 8 straight titles.

The rivalry truly originated in the 1960s, when the Celtics defeated the Lakers six times in eight years (1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969).

(Video:1989 NBA Recap of Elgin Baylor's record 61 Points in Game 5 of the 1962 Finals at Boston Garden)

The rivalry went on in the 1980s when both teams were strong, and was personified as Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. After the retirements of this two legendary players in the early 1990s the rivalry has been less intense.

(Video: Final minutes of the 1985 NBA finals Game 6 "Celtics - Lakers")

Here's the list of 10 great Celtics-Lakers match-ups in the NBA finals.

NBA Final Series

1958-59     Boston Celtics     Minneapolis Lakers     4-0
1961-62     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-3
1962-63     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-2
1964-65     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-1
1965-66     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-3
1967-68     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-2
1968-69     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-3
1983-84     Boston Celtics     Los Angeles Lakers     4-3
1984-85     Los Angeles Lakers     Boston Celtics     4-2
1986-87     Los Angeles Lakers     Boston Celtics     4-2

(Video: NBA Classic Rivals: Bird vs. Magic)