No other rivalry in the illustrious history of the NBA is as intense as that between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. 17 titles a piece and they’ve written so many chapters in this ongoing rivalry. However, it was the 2008 NBA Finals that left a mark that forever marred one of Kobe Bryant’s Ex-teammates.

It would take years for the Lakeshow to prevail again, winning another title in 2010 led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but the pain of what transpired in 2008 remains haunting.

The Scourge of 2008 Celtics’ Domination and Lamar Odom’s Wrath

Under the blistering heat of the 2008 NBA Final, the Celts were an unstoppable force, a nightmare matchup for Lakers fans who would rather not remember. They came back and won Game 6 by a huge margin of 35 points against the Lakers. This wasn’t just a defeat for Kobe Bryant’s Ex-teammate Lamar Odom and his teammates: it was an indelible embarrassment.

But it wasn’t even the crushing scoreline, it was the bitter reaction. Odom remembers the Boston fans surrounding their team bus, trembling it with malicious excitement. At that point, the seed of hate was planted, an attitude that has lived on in the decades since. It was hell on the high seas and felt like a sour punctuation mark on what was once so promising.

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For many including, of course, Lamar Odom, the bitterness runs deep toward the Celtics, dating back to that game when he could not take it anymore, when he had all but given up.

As bad as it was to get eliminated by Boston, getting shut down in an embarrassing fashion post-game was simply unbelievable. Those scars were deep and still etched into Odom’s memory many years later.

Triumph Over Tragedy Lakers Redemption and Odom’s Reverence

That’s where the beauty of sports comes in — it turns adversity into inspiration. Instead of allowing themselves to be defeated soulfully, the Lakers arose from the aftermath more resilient and dedicated than ever before. The following season, they made amends and won the NBA title.

But, it was in 2010 that Lamar Odom’s team experienced the most rewarding victory. In an exciting seven-gamer, the Lakers defeated the Celtics to redeem themselves and set them on record. The acrimony of 2008 was finally swept away in an ocean of joy.

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2008 may have dealt a painful scar on Odom, but, it faded and formed a tougher and more determined Laker team. And the NBA has another story for its history books.