Battle Of The Fans: Celtics vs. Lakers

The return of pro basketball's most storied rivalry in the Finals is reigniting the flames of hostility between Los Angeles fans and Bostonians, a civic competition that remained mostly dormant ever since the late 1980s.

Back then, identifying the fans of each team was relatively easy. The Boston Celtics of the 1980s, led by Larry Bird, were mostly white, scrappy, and always ready for a fight. Their fans – predictably – were known as the hard-working, blue-collar type. Meanwhile, the 80s-era Los Angeles Lakers were flashier, like their leader, Magic Johnson, and the scores of movie stars their home games attracted. The team played a “Showtime” variety of basketball – a term used to describe their fast breaks and fancy no-look passes.

A lot has changed between these separate fan bases in three decades. Eric Wilbur, a reporter for the Boston Globe (NYT) who manages the Boston Sports Blog, thinks that the general make-up of a Boston Celtics fan went corporate after their new arena, the TD BankNorth Garden, opened in 1995.

“The old Boston Garden was not a place to be seen,” says Wilbur. “Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson who came to watch the Lakers had to sit up in the nosebleeds. That wouldn’t happen today, he’d be able to purchase a courtside seat since so many of them are paid for by corporations.”

Now blue-collars at games are in the minority. “Celtics fans today are more likely to be driving sports cars and wearing Armani suits—like a lot of Lakers fans out in LA—especially the ones with the good seats,” says Wilbur.