Lakers: Magic Johnson and James Worthy Postgame Reactions Prove The Rivalry Is Alive

Between the Lakers and Celtics, there are over 30 titles and a myriad of hall of fame players that have graced the NBA. It is often called the greatest and most intense rivalries in sports.

The Laker names we remember from the 80's, arguably the rivalries best period, are typically Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. After the Lakers downed the Celtics on Tuesday night, two of those legends had their moments.

I had a lot of fun at the STAPLES Center watching the @Lakers take down the hated Celtics!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 8, 2021

Magic Johnson's twitter acumen has been a fun inside joke among Laker fans for years, but this tweet's earnest attitude is fun. Johnson's rivalry and friendship with Larry Bird in the 80's put the NBA back on the map.

For "Big Game" James Worthy, his vibe was more intense.

Nothing like @JamesWorthy42 after the Lakers beat the Celtics. 😆💜💛 pic.twitter.com/a77UoZzSIV
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 8, 2021

Worthy said the Lakers were not as sharp as they need to be, but "sharp enough to get that Celtic ass." He then lit a cigar on air while accusing Cedric Maxwell of stealing his catchphrase. He continued, “put your diaper on and go back to Boston!” That, as the kids say, is a vibe.

The significance of this for Lakers fans is even better considering it was also Celtic legend Larry Bird's birthday. Not exactly the gift Celtics fans wanted on their franchise's best players birthday, but the Lakers only win.

The Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. LA hopes to ride the momentum of a well-balanced game into Tennessee. Ja Morant was recently put on the COVID-19 list, so unless something out of the ordinary happens, the Lakers will have a chance to beat Memphis with the Grizzlies not having their franchise player.