Luka Doncic has been a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for over a month now, endearing himself to the Lakers faithful almost immediately.
Doncic has a chance to further strengthen that relationship Saturday when the Lakers face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC). It marks Doncic’s debut in the iconic Lakers-Celtics rivalry.
Doncic has played in 11 regular-season games against Boston, averaging 29.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. While with the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic and the Celtics went head-to-head in the 2024 NBA Finals. Boston won in five games as Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
But, playing against the Celtics as a Laker can bring the best out of some of the franchise’s biggest figures — here are some of the most notable regular-season debuts of Lakers against Boston.
LeBron James, 2019
Stats: 28 points, 12 assists, 12 rebounds, 3 steals
Game result: 129-128 win
Coming into the game at the Garden, James played in just two of the Lakers’ past 20 games because of a groin injury. However, when he touched the court against the Celtics, it didn’t look like he had missed any time. He became the third Lakers player with a triple-double in Boston, joining Magic Johnson and Elgin Baylor.
James brought the Lakers back from a deficit that reached 18 points in the first half. The matchup had a memorable ending with Rajon Rondo hitting a game-winning jumper as time expired.
Pau Gasol, 2009
Stats: 24 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists
Game result: 110-109 win
Similar to Doncic, the Lakers acquired Gasol in a midseason trade during the 2007-08 season. Gasol faced the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals where the Lakers lost in six games. His regular-season Boston debut didn’t come until the following February — an overtime classic that included 11 lead changes and seven ties in a Los Angeles win.
Gasol struggled against Boston in the previous Finals. But, he played a key role in the Lakers’ win on the road this time around, recording his third straight 20-point double-double. Gasol also blocked Glen Davis’ jump shot with 17 seconds left, leading to Lamar Odom’s go-ahead free throws.
Shaquille O’Neal, 1996
Stats: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks
Game result: 110-94 loss
The Lakers’ marquee signing of the 1996 offseason, O’Neal couldn’t get the win in his rivalry debut as a Laker.
Statistically, it was a typical O’Neal game. It was his sixth straight game of at least 20 points and 13th that month alone. He shot 66% from the field and 29% from the free throw line.
The matchup also marked rookie Kobe Bryant’s Lakers-Celtics rivalry debut. The then-18-year-old played 20 minutes off the bench, struggling with two points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Magic Johnson, 1979
Stats: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals
Game result: 123-105 win
The first installment of the Magic-Bird rivalry in the NBA led to a decisive victory for the Lakers at the Forum. Johnson continued his strong rookie season, dropping over 20 points for the 11th time that December. He played a game-high 40 minutes and shot 50% from the field.
Bird held his own too with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. It was the first of 37 matchups between Bird and Magic, adding a new chapter to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1975
Stats: 28 points, 24 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks
Game result: 123-113 loss
The Lakers got Abdul-Jabbar in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1975 offseason. The Doncic trade drew parallels to Abdul-Jabbar’s acquisition.
When Doncic was dealt, he was averaging 28.6 points per game in his career — the highest mark for a player at the time of a trade since 1975, when the Bucks sent Abdul-Jabbar (30.4 PPG) to the Lakers, according to ESPN Research.
Abdul-Jabbar continued that high scoring output for Los Angeles en route to becoming a six-time NBA champion. He had a 20-20 game in 47 minutes against the Celtics in their first matchup. It marked his 18th game of the season where he tallied at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.
Wilt Chamberlain, 1968
Stats: 16 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists
Game result: 116-106 win
Chamberlain’s move to the Lakers from the Philadelphia 76ers extended his longtime rivalry with Bill Russell and the Celtics. The two faced off in the 1964 NBA Finals, where Boston came out victorious, and went on to meet in four straight postseasons before Chamberlain landed in Los Angeles.
Their first matchup after the trade included another strong performance from Chamberlain, while Russell had six points and 21 rebounds.