“When I dream, I dream of basketball. When I wake up, it’s the first thing I do,” Kobe Bryant once said. And if there was one team that played a defining role in his journey, it was the Boston Celtics. Every Lakers fan remembers those battles—the wins, the heartbreaks, and the unforgettable moments. But before his first NBA Finals showdown against Boston, he got a warning from a Lakers legend who knew exactly what was coming.
It was none other than Magic Johnson. Having faced the Celtics in the Finals three times himself, Magic understood what was at stake. Beating Boston wasn’t just about taking down the team in front of you—it meant overcoming the weight of history. The Celtics weren’t just a franchise; they were a legacy built on championships, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable battles against the Lakers.
So, what exactly did Magic tell him? “I talked to him before the first Celtics series, and I said this is gonna be your hardest championship series,” Magic shared on Byron Scott’s Fast Break. But Kobe, ever confident, wasn’t convinced. “He’s like, ‘No, no, no.’ (I said), ‘Kobe, I’m telling you, there’s nothing like playing against the Celtics. You don’t understand.’ So, they ended up losing.” And just like that, Bryant learned firsthand what Magic meant.
However, Kobe wasn’t one to back down. After that crushing defeat, he met with Magic again. This time, Johnson had a new piece of advice. “[Kobe] he said, man, you were right. I said, you got to help those dudes in your locker room understand that for next season.” And sure enough, Kobe did just that—leading the Lakers to back-to-back championships, including a revenge win over the Celtics in 2010.
BOSTON, MA, JUNE 13, 2010 Kobe Bryant finds it hard to get to the basket against the defense of Celtics forward Kevin Garnett late in game five of the NBA Finals at the TD Garden. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Looking back, Magic had one final moment with Kobe after that second title. “Remember, it went back to back. And I went in the back, and he said, I am so drained. I told him, see, because the Celtics are different,” Johnson revealed.
But here’s something many don’t know—Kobe once almost became a Boston Celtic himself.
Kobe Bryant in Celtic green was on the table?
Believe it or not, Kobe Bryant once envisioned himself carrying on Larry Bird’s legacy in Boston. “I would’ve tried to carry on Bird’s legacy,” young Kobe said without hesitation. “Absolutely. I would’ve done it with a tremendous amount of pride and honor.” Imagine a world where Bryant, not Paul Pierce, became the heart of the Celtics. Boston fans would have worshiped him, and the league’s perception of him could have been entirely different. As wild as it sounds, it almost became reality.
Back in 1996, the Celtics were seriously considering drafting Bryant with the No. 6 pick. In a feature for ESPN, Baxter Holmes detailed how head coach M.L. Carr and team president Red Auerbach went back and forth on the decision. Boston had been blown away by Kobe’s pre-draft workout—his game reminded them of a young Michael Jordan. His maturity, basketball IQ, and dedication to the game made him stand out.
Still, Boston was in desperate need of a quick turnaround after finishing the 1995-96 season at 33-49. The team wasn’t willing to wait years for an 18-year-old to develop, especially when high school picks were still seen as risky—unless they were dominant big men.
So instead, the Celtics moved up from No. 9 to No. 6, ensuring they landed Antoine Walker, one of the highly touted “Super Six of ’96.” Bryant, of course, went on to outshine them all. While Allen Iverson and Ray Allen built Hall of Fame careers, no one from that class came close to Kobe’s legendary impact.
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