Celtics/Lakers

Is this great or what?

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are going to play in the NBA Finals. I like numbers, so here are some numbers to help you appreciate what we get to see starting Thursday.

The NBA has had 62 seasons, making this the 62nd NBA Finals. Out of those 62 years:

This is the 11th time these two teams have played each other for the title.

This is the Lakers' 29th time in the Finals, which means they have participated in nearly half of all NBA Finals. They have won 14 titles and lost 14 times.

This is the Celtics' 20th time in the Finals, which means they have faced the Lakers more than half of the time after winning the Eastern Conference. They have won 16 championships and only lost in the Finals 3 times, for an incredible percentage of 84.2. 8 of the 16 titles came against the Lakers, and 2 of the 3 losses.

The 30 titles between these two franchises is far beyond any other combination of two teams in the NBA, and in three weeks it will be 31. It has been 21 years since they last played for the title. Now, a new generation gets to see the Green vs. Gold. It's gonna be good.