Miniseries
3 episodes Jun 13, 2017 9.6
Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies
“Lines were crossed”
2017
Ended • 1 Season • 3 Episodes
Director: Jim Podhoretz
Overview
There are rivalries, and then there is the Celtics versus the Lakers. “Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies,” a five-hour, three-part 30 for 30 film event, chronicles the storied franchises’ epic clashes and relives the Boston-LA battle from both sides with sensational footage and fresh, insightful interviews.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 3 episodes
- First aired
- Jun 13, 2017
- Last aired
- Jun 14, 2017
- Episode length
- 85m
- Network
- ESPN
Latest episode: S1 E3 Part 3 (Jun 14, 2017)
Cast
Reviews
4 min readThe Game That Was More Than a Game
I’ve never been much of a sports fan. The rules of basketball, to me, have always felt like a language I only half-understand—something I can follow in the broadest strokes but never truly speak. And yet, there’s something about the way Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies tells its story that makes it impossible to look away.
This isn’t just a documentary about a rivalry; it’s a three-part epic about America itself, about race and class and geography, about the way two cities became symbols for everything that divided—and occasionally united—us.
The first thing that strikes you is the sheer weight of the footage. Not just the games, though there are plenty of those, slowed down and dissected like a surgeon’s incision, but the moments between the games. The way Larry Bird walks onto the court, all slow, deliberate steps, like a man who knows exactly how much he’s carrying.
The way Magic Johnson grins, all teeth and charm, as if the game is just a playground and he’s the kid who’s always picked first. The camera lingers on these details, not because they’re flashy, but because they’re human. And in a rivalry this mythic, the humanity is what gets lost.
The documentary doesn’t just rely on nostalgia, though it’s certainly there. It’s smarter than that. It frames the Celtics and Lakers not just as teams, but as embodiments of their cities.
Boston, with its working-class grit, its racial tensions, its chip-on-the-shoulder inferiority complex. Los Angeles, with its sunshine and sprawl, its Hollywood glamour, its sense of being the future. The rivalry wasn’t just about basketball; it was about two Americas staring each other down, each convinced they were the better version of the country.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
Audience 8.2/10
"A must-watch for NBA fans, blending sharp storytelling with iconic rivalries and nostalgic moments."
Viewers praise the series for its deep dive into the historic Celtics-Lakers rivalry, highlighting the cultural and sporting significance of their battles. The documentary’s pacing and narrative structure keep fans engaged, latestnetflix.com contends, though some note it assumes a level of prior knowledge that casual viewers might lack.
What viewers praise
- Rich historical context Captures the intensity and cultural impact of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry with compelling archival footage and interviews.
- Engaging storytelling The narrative flows smoothly, balancing sports action with behind-the-scenes drama and personal stories.
- Strong cast involvement Ice Cube and Donnie Wahlberg add depth and perspective, enhancing the documentary’s appeal.
Common complaints
- Assumes prior knowledge Casual fans or those unfamiliar with NBA history may find some references or context lacking.
- Pacing issues A few segments feel drawn out, particularly for viewers less invested in the rivalry’s nuances.
Recommended for
NBA history enthusiasts Celtics and Lakers fans Sports documentary lovers Ice Cube and Donnie Wahlberg fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsIce Cube and Donnie Wahlberg got paid to pick sides for five hours.
ESPN Films already had Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Jerry West on camera. The trick was the voiceover. Executive producer Jonathan Hock told director Jim Podhoretz to split the narration so each coast had a hometown partisan. Wikipedia records the split. Wahlberg, born August 1969, grew up a Celtics fan in Dorchester. Ice Cube, born June 1969, grew up a Lakers fan in South Central Los Angeles. Both were teenagers during those 1980s Finals. Wahlberg reads Boston. Cube reads L.A. The A.V. Club said the first-person scripts felt stiff and performative. Wahlberg still landed the line Boston.com printed. Larry Bird is "the best basketball player the good lord ever created, and the reason he created him was to crush the LA Lakers." latestnetflix.com's take is that cNN caught him dismissing the Fabulous Forum as "The arena that doubles as a nightclub."
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyQrdNKyZXo
The five-hour cut ran as a two-night event. Parts One and Two went back to back Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Part Three went Wednesday. Wikipedia lists the split as two hours, one hour, two hours. Awful Announcing timed 254 minutes without commercials. TMDB files it as a three-episode miniseries, status ended, with Ice Cube and Wahlberg co-narrating every part. The official trailer is still on YouTube. , , ,
Los Angeles won the Nielsen fight too.
Awful Announcing published ESPN's metered-market numbers. Part One, 8-10 p.m., Los Angeles 1.4, Boston 0.8. Part Two, 10-11 p.m., Los Angeles 1.7, Boston 1.3. ESPN was the No. 1 cable network among adults 18-49 that Tuesday. Bryant Gumbel, on camera, said the 1980s Lakers and Celtics "saved the NBA." CNN printed the quote. The film spends time on that boast. Red Auerbach naming Russell player-coach in 1966, a first in major U.S. sports. Magic getting booed in his own building after he forced Paul Westhead out. Kevin McHale clothes-lining Kurt Rambis while Chick Hearn yelled, "That's a lousy rotten play!" The Lakers of the 1960s lost every Finals they played against Boston. Seven of them. The 1980s teams met three times. Boston in 1984. Los Angeles in 1985 and 1987. , , ,
Moviefone still lists the miniseries on Netflix in the United States. The booking is the item. ESPN hired two hometown celebrities to trash-talk a rivalry Boston used to own, then Los Angeles outrated Boston for the premiere.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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