Here's Why NBA Cup Should be Important to Boston Celtics

The NBA Cup would give the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers the edge in their historic rivalry.

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are engaged in the greatest rivalry in basketball. Both franchises have won a league-high 17 NBA championships.

The two teams have faced each other in a championship series on 12 occasions, with the most recent instance occurring in 2010. The Jayson Tatum-led Celtics and Lebron James-led Lakers nearly met in the 2023 NBA Finals, though both were eliminated in the prior round.

The NBA’s new in-season tournament presents an opportunity for either organization to establish their dominance. Although the NBA Cup is considered a secondary award, it will subjectively enhance any winning franchise’s legacy.

In this inaugural tournament, the Celtics and Lakers are both undefeated in their respective groups. At this pace, they are likely to advance to the quarterfinals in Las Vegas.

The primary goal for any team still remains winning the NBA championship. An NBA Cup victory for either the Celtics or Lakers, however, would serve as a sufficient tiebreaker to determine which is the best franchise in league history. 

Further Reading

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Joe Mazzulla Discusses Keys to Celtics Second-Half Turnaround in Win Over 76ers

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